Frequently Asked Questions
1.) Who controls the price of oil?
Answer: the price of oil is set by commodity buyers and sellers (mostly huge banks and hedge funds) at the New York Mercantile Exchange or NYMEX. The price you pay is set by this benchmark. As a point of interest, it was estimated in 2010 that as much as 20 times more crude oil was traded every day than was actually consumed worldwide.
2.) Why are prices going down as we approach the winter season?
Answer: No one knows for sure but one may speculate that the warm weather we have experienced this year (2014) into the month of November has caused little need for oil which means the demand for oil is down and the supply of oil is up. Low demand and high supply of any product generally means lower prices. Unfortunately, if your tank is already full, there is no place to put the oil should you want to purchase it.
3.) Since the price of oil is going down, why hasn't your price gone down?
Answer: We sell our oil based on the cost of our inventory. Since the price of oil is a moving target, we try to buy it at the lowest price possible. As we deliver oil and purchase more to replenish our inventory our price changes (up or down) to reflect the price that we paid most recently.
4.) Why are your prices higher than smaller oil companies?
Answer: The price of our oil includes more than just the price that we pay for oil. Once we have paid for the oil that we sell to our customers, we have to pay all of the overhead expenses associated with being a full service oil company. These include wages and benefits for delivery men, wages and benefits for service technicians that are on call 24/7, vehicle insurance, liability insurance, repair costs and preventative maintenance on vehicles, office staff that service customers, service staff that schedule preventative maintenance and repair service, state and federal taxes, Department of Transportation fees and taxes, and much more.
5.) Since I bought my oil contract the price of oil has dropped. Can I get out of my contract?
Answer: When you place your contract order with us, we are obligated by law to purchase oil to cover your contract. Since there is no way for us to cancel our contract with our supplier, there is no way that we can cancel your contract with us. This is the reason why our contracts clearly state that if the price of oil drops after you sign your contract, the price you pay will remain as stated on the contract.
6.) Do you offer service plans?
Answer: We offer two service plans for oil heating systems and one service plan for oil fired hot water heaters. Note: The hot water heater service plan can only be purchased in conjunction with a oil heating system service plan.
7.) Why was I notified that you couldn't deliver oil to me because my driveway was unsafe?
Answer: Oil delivery trucks are extrememly heavy and cumbersome to maneuver on snow an/or ice covered surfaces. If a driveway has an incline of 10 degrees or more, is not cleared of snow or has ice patches on it, a parked oil truck (because of its extreme weight) has the potential to slide down the driveway even though the emergency brake has been set and the wheels have been chocked. If you have a difficult driveway and you know a storm is coming, pleaes check your oil tank to see if you need oil. If you do need oil, please call us for a delivery before the storm hits. If that isn't possible, please have your driveway cleared and sand put down to make the surface safe for a delivery truck. There are basically three requirements for safe oil delivery: oil trucks require a 10 foot wide path to pass safely, driveways should be sanded or salted and there should be a clear shoveled path to the oil tank fill pipe.
8.) Why should I fill my tank during the summer time?
Answer: Keeping your fuel tank filled during the summer time reduces the amount of condensation that will occur in the fuel tank. Condensation forms when it is cooler inside the tank than it is outside the tank. By reducing or eliminating condensation in your oil tank, you reduce the amount of sludge that is built up in your tank. Sludge can migrate to your fuel line and cause a blockage that will require service to repair. Although our fuel is treated with an additive to reduce sludge, over time, enough water in your system will override the additive and cause excessive sludge that the additive can't break down. Another advantage of filling your tank during the summer is that typically, the price of oil is less in the summer than it is during the winter.
9.) For Automatic Delivery, how do you know when to deliver my oil?
Answer: We calculate delivery schedules based on degree days. The number of degree days accumulated for any given day is calculated by taking the the average temperature for the day and subtracting that number from a constant of 65 degrees. That calculated number is the number of degree days consumed for that particular day. For example, if the high temperature on Jan 1 was 48 degrees and the low temperature for Jan 1 was 10 degrees, you would calculate the number of degree days as follows: (48-10) = 38. 38/2 = 16 The low temperature of 10 + 16 = 26 degree average temperature for Jan 1. The constant of 65 degrees minus the average temperature of 26 degrees calculates 39 degree days consumed on Jan 1. On a hot summer day, you might experience the following: 90 degrees as a high temperature and 75 degrees as a low temperature. The number of degree days experienced for that day would be (90-75)/2=7.5. 7.5 + 75= 82.5. 65-82.5=(17.5) or negative 17.5 degree days. Since there is no such thing as a negative degree day (warm weather doesn't put oil in your tank but cold weather does take it out of your tank) this means that there were 0 degree days consumed on that day. Every home uses a specific number of gallons per degree day much the same as every car uses a specific number of gallons of gas per mile traveled. Over time, we can get to know your home and calculate how many gallons of oil you use per degree day (we call that your home's "K" factor). Once we know the "K Factor", we can accurately predict when you will need oil.
10.) What factors can change the amount of oil I consume?
Answer: Anything that changes the way you live can affect your oil consumption. Some examples are: adding a new room to your house that will require heat, having a new born baby, increasing the number of hours you stay home during the winter, adding a space heater to your home, burning more fire wood than usual, install hot water consuming appliances such as a dish washer, clothes washer or oversized bath tub etc, or ignoring a hot water leak.
11.) When filling my oil tank, why can you hear a whistling sound?
Answer: All oil tanks must have a properly working whistle. It is the whistle that tells the oil delivery man when your tank is full. As the tank is being filled, the oil going into your tank forces air out of the tank. This air is what makes the whistle sound. When the whistle can no longer be heard, the oil man knows that most of the air is out of the tank and therefore the tank is full.
12.) If I have no heat, what should I do?
Answer: Check to see if there is oil in your tank. Check to see that all emergency switches for your heating system are on. Make sure the thermostat is working by turning it up another 10 degrees to see if the heat comes on. Check all fuses and circuit breakers to make sure they are in good condition or properly set. Press the reset button one time only to see if the heat comes on. If none of these fix the problem, call us at 203-263-2155.
13.) Why should I be concerned about buying clean fuel?
Answer: Fuel is NOT what it used to be. EPA mandates regulating the way fuels are refined are different today than they were years ago. Fuels today deteriorate at a much faster rate than fuels your parents purchased many decades ago. Today, fuel manufacturer's state that the shelf life of fuel is 3 to 6 months. One major reason for this is that lead was removed from the fuel. Simply put, today's reformulated fuels are more susceptible to bug infestation which when combined with condensation eventually turns to sludge. This sludge is what clogs your filters and interferes with fuel flow to your burner causing failure of your heating system.
14.) What can be done to reduce the amount of sludge build-up in my oil tank?
Answer: Change fuel filters once per year (a yearly cleaning of your heating system will accomplish this). Minimize condensation within your tank by keeping the tanks topped with fuel to a least 1/2 full. The more oil in your tank, the less condensation will be created and greater control of sludge is realized. Purchase properly treated fuel to minimize the infestation of bugs.
