the Cost of Heating Oil Refills

This is the price of the delivery of 143 gallons of home heating oil. Although the going price of oil was well over $3.50 at this time, I only paid $2.999 per gallon because I had a contract with the oil company which I signed in September 2007, when oil prices were lower. This price includes the delivery of the oil. There are no other services included. In order to get a price cap, however, I had commit to automatic delivery, meaning they would deliver oil to me automatically throughout the winter. I am not allowed to receive oil from anyone else. My contract is good for one year. For another $97.50, I took a service contract which includes parts and labor to repair my oil burner, and an annual burner cleaning service.

I can't tell you how grateful I am that I capped my price last summer. At the time, the going rate was about $2.49 per gallon and the salesman capped me saying, "Don't worry, the price of oil will never go to $2.99." I had the option of going with another company that charged a few cents less per gallon, but did not cap its prices. My neighbor uses that company and paid over $3.50 per gallon for his last delivery in March. The service contract guarantees that my burner will be serviced annually, and I will not have to call around for service if I have no heat in the dead of winter. This peace of mind is priceless when you hear stories about people waiting two or three days for someone to come repair the burner.

Make sure the company you use has a reputation for honoring its contracts. My first bill came in well over the capped price (about $ .50 more), and I called them. A simple review of my contract got my bill corrected and I've had no problems since. You can buy oil on a call-as-needed basis from many companies, but then you have to keep an eye on your tank level and not let yourself run out. In this market, I believe having a contracted price is the best thing to do. Buying from random companies is likely to lead to finding yourself high and dry when you need a quick fill and you will be vulnerable to whatever the going market price is.