Serving your Oil Heating needs for 75 years

FAQ

Who sets oil and gasoline prices?

Energy Prices are set on the "NY Merc" (New York Mercantile Exchange) (Wall Street). Not by major oil companies like most people think.

What causes energy prices to change?

There are many factors that will influence oil and energy prices. Supply and demand is the biggest determining factor; it is what drives the supply and demand that causes unrest in the market. One good example is perception vs. reality, what may be or could be, such as a potential hurricane, the market will react long before there is a real threat of landfall.

Will I save money by calling for my oil?

No, people think that they can control their usage by calling, what can be causing more of an expense for the company delivering that oil, if you use 1000 gallons of oil per year. A company will make 5 or 6 on an automatic scheduling, for those who call usually order 100 gallons at a time, equaling 10 deliveries, doubling the number of trips needed.

How often should I have my boiler/furnace inspected and maintained?

Your heating system should be maintained and inspected at least once a year, to insure optimum efficiency. If your boiler/furnace is off 10% at today's prices, you could spend at extra $200.00-$300.00 per year, more than you need to.

How do I know if I need a new boiler?

If your boiler is older than 25 years and not a low-mass style boiler, you should seriously consider a replacement or upgrade.

What is the difference between a COD customer and a Full Service customer?

A full service is on automatic delivery, gets their tank filled on every delivery. The customer is able to purchase one of our service contracts and be on our 10 month budget program. A COD customer is limited to 100 gallons at a time. They have to call 24 hours before a delivery, the price quoted is not always guaranteed. They have to monitor they own tank and they can not purchase a service contract. Any service done is billable and must be paid at the time done. With full service you can rest assure knowing that we take care of you.

What is the minimum delivery amount?

The minimum delivery is 100 gallons.

What can I save money on my fuel bill?

Save up to 10% on your fuel bills with a professional tune-up. Save up to 30% on fuel bills by upgrading to a new, high efficiency system. Use a service plan to protect yourself against high, unexpected repair bills. Enroll into a monthly payment plan (budget). Most oil dealers are wiling to let you spread out your heating oil payments over the course.

Where are oil and oil products traded?

They are traded in the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) where standardized contracts for future delivery of West Texas intermediate oil are traded. The International Petroleum Exchange, where standardized contracts for future delivery of Brent Crude are traded. The so-called "spot markets", where crude oil is bought and sold without long-term contracts. The Refined Petroleum Product Market, where the crude oil that has been processed into gasoline, diesel or heating oil is bought and sold by distributors and retailers.

Who determines the oil prices?

The price of oil is determined by traders in the world markets. Several "marker crudes" are widely traded in both the spot and futures markets for crude oil. Changes in the prices of marker crudes rapidly translate into the prices for other crudes with minor variations reflecting quality and transportation differentials. Economists refer to this reaction as the "fungibility" of the crude oil market.

Where does heating oil come from?

The US has two sources of heating oil: domestic refineries and imports from foreign countries. Refineries produce heating oil as a part of the "distillate fuel oil" product family, which includes heating oils and diesel fuel. Distillate products are shipped throughout the US by pipelines, barges, tankers, trucks, and rail cars. Most imports of distillate come from Canada, the Virgin Islands, and Venezuela. Refiners are limited in the amount of heating oil they can make to meet the demands of the winter heating season. During the coldest winter months, the inventories that are built in summer and fall are used to help meet the high demand. Refiners can increase heating oil production in the winter to a modest degree, but they quickly reach a point where, to produce more heating oil, they would also have to produce more of other petroleum products which could not be sold in sufficient quantities during the winter months. On the other hand, if consumer demand is high for a seasonal product, such as gasoline, refiners may delay producing heating oil for the winter, which may lower inventories at the start of the heating season.