Those who own older homes that have since converted from oil to another form of heat are also at risk, as many homeowners abandoned their buried oil tanks when the heating source was changed or they transition to above ground, without proper drainage and disposal. All fuel tanks can leak and cause expensive damage, but those located underground are much more likely to result in contamination because they’re underground and out of sight. Of course, not all homes with oil heat have underground tanks - some have above ground tanks outside or in the basement. In fact, in Maine, New Hampshire and Connecticut, oil is the most popular source of heat - heating 65% of homes in Maine, 46% of homes in New Hampshire and 44% of homes in Connecticut. The cost of cleaning up a leak from an underground oil tank ranges from thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars depending on how much contamination has occurred - and the worst part is, there’s a good chance your homeowner’s insurance won’t cover any of the costs.įor areas such as New England, oil heat is very popular.

Tank when we house