home heating oil

[genius]

Well it's the time of the year when the home heating oil contracts get negotiated.

I find the negotiating process very distasteful and stressful. I do some research (NYSERTA prices, local competition) the best I can but when I call up the company (I am a long time customer, 800+ credit score and I pay within a couple of days of my delivery.) they start off with a high ball offer and we have to waste a lot of time and effort playing games. Couple years back I got so disgusted I hung up with my long term vendor and picked another vendor that I really didn't want who gave me a decent contract w/o any back and forth game playing. (They didn't have the reputation of the one I really wanted — reputation is important to me).

When the game player called me back after a couple of days they were shocked, shocked that I didn't tell them the other offer and allow them to match it (I don't operate doing business that way whether it be heating oil, refrigerators or cars i.e., "tell me what the other guy offered and I will see what we can do when I talk to my manager").

what do you guys do?

ideas?

 

[MayorSimpleton]

I buy COD and skip the contract. My burner is about 4 years old so I'll take the chance and keep my heat down to 62 F like I did last year.
Almost every contract, the price per gallon is much higher than COD.

 

[trader1]

Although I do not use heating oil, I agree with @genius - Give me your best price, otherwise I cancel and move on-My time is important and do not have time to waste by having the representative call their “manager”.. No patience for the games

 

[billyS]

I have a service contract which comes in handy because my boiler is about 15 years old and shit happens. And when it does they are there in within a few hours. The contract also includes free tune up every fall.

For me the peace of mind is worth it.
I'm on a budget plan with the cost per gallon capped at $4.99. Two years ago before the price went out of control I was capped at $3.99.

They come on a regular schedule so I always have oil. Again peace of mind is worth it to me.

I work from home four days a week and blast the heat and walk around in my underwear.

 

[Dharmabum]

I buy COD and skip the contract. My burner is about 4 years old so I'll take the chance and keep my heat down to 62 F like I did last year.
Almost every contract, the price per gallon is much higher than COD.

I do the same, however the COD guy I started with years ago morphed into a reliable cheaper than the alternatives and contracts..He just stops buy, check my tank (I guess he will in the next few days) then checks every month and tops me up as needed.. leaves me a bill which I promptly pay by check..

As for servicing.. I have a good friend who owns an HVAC business.. He and one of his techs came over on day and taught me how to clean and set up my burner and boiler (I have steam heat) I bought some of the needed equipment from EBAY... So for the last 10 years or so I've had reliable non-contract oil deliveries, and I DIY the maintenance..

 

[Chrome Dome]

I usually lock in a cap price in July since they are lower then. I have been in my place over 20 years and know my usage. This year capped at $3.33. You can usually get lower on COD except in times like this when prices can spike.

 

[genius]

Here is the problem with COD and so called service contracts with independents:

I have always believed in service contracts with large companies where their employees know that each will occasionally have a turn to be on call on critical times.

So one very cold snowy Christmas eve around midnight I had as @MayorSimpleton had, a fairly new burner system, his "about 4 years old", mine was of similar age as I had a recently constructed house about that age — and it failed. I called the company and a tech was there in about 2 hours; the bad part replaced and heat on shortly thereafter.

As far as the COD guys my thinking is that when there is a disruption of some sort who gets the oil: the large company with large contracts or the COD guy with a couple of trucks?

I've been around a long time, perhaps longer than 99% on the guys on UG — shit happens.

My problem right now is the stupid dance that gets done each year and how to eliminate it.

 

[billyS]

Here is the problem with COD and so called service contracts with independents:

I have always believed in service contracts with large companies where their employees know that each will occasionally have a turn to be on call on critical times.

So one very cold snowy Christmas eve around midnight I had as @MayorSimpleton had, a fairly new burner system, his "about 4 years old", mine was of similar age as I had a recently constructed house about that age — and it failed. I called the company and a tech was there in about 2 hours; the bad part replaced and heat on shortly thereafter.

As far as the COD guys my thinking is that when there is a disruption of some sort who gets the oil: the large company with large contracts or the COD guy with a couple of trucks?

I've been around a long time, perhaps longer than 99% on the guys on UG — shit happens.

My problem right now is the stupid dance that gets done each year and how to eliminate it.

The first time I got married I moved into the house my wife had been renting. They had a contract with a local but fairly large oil company.
We needed to call them twice during the time we lived there. Once on Christmas Eve, the other on Easter. Both times they were there in an hour.
Needless to say we kept them when we bought a house.
Peace of mind. I like having my heat on.

The other points you make are all valid and reasons I stick with my company even though they've merged a few times now.

 

[Bricktop]

Here is the problem with COD and so called service contracts with independents:

I have always believed in service contracts with large companies where their employees know that each will occasionally have a turn to be on call on critical times.

So one very cold snowy Christmas eve around midnight I had as @MayorSimpleton had, a fairly new burner system, his "about 4 years old", mine was of similar age as I had a recently constructed house about that age — and it failed. I called the company and a tech was there in about 2 hours; the bad part replaced and heat on shortly thereafter.

As far as the COD guys my thinking is that when there is a disruption of some sort who gets the oil: the large company with large contracts or the COD guy with a couple of trucks?

I've been around a long time, perhaps longer than 99% on the guys on UG — shit happens.

My problem right now is the stupid dance that gets done each year and how to eliminate it.

Have you thought about converting?

 

[MayorSimpleton]

Here is the problem with COD and so called service contracts with independents:

I have always believed in service contracts with large companies where their employees know that each will occasionally have a turn to be on call on critical times.

So one very cold snowy Christmas eve around midnight I had as @MayorSimpleton had, a fairly new burner system, his "about 4 years old", mine was of similar age as I had a recently constructed house about that age — and it failed. I called the company and a tech was there in about 2 hours; the bad part replaced and heat on shortly thereafter.

As far as the COD guys my thinking is that when there is a disruption of some sort who gets the oil: the large company with large contracts or the COD guy with a couple of trucks?

I've been around a long time, perhaps longer than 99% on the guys on UG — shit happens.

My problem right now is the stupid dance that gets done each year and how to eliminate it.

I completely agree on a contract with a company like Petro and their service response time. I had them many years ago but their service contract was going up to $250 back in the early 2000s and their oil per gallon was about $1.00 more than COD if I remember correctly.
Luckily the service company I use has come pretty quickly in most cases so I take the gamble. And it is a gamble.

 

[tony soprano]

COD or just order on the providers app and pay with a card, oil sometimes comes within hours!

I have a local guy who is incredibly reliable and responsive if anything goes wrong. He charges about $250 for the annual tune up that keeps everything running.

 

[Nehoma]

Convert to gas

 

[billyS]

Convert to gas

The problem is I have no gas in the house right now. No lines coming in. Electric stove and dryer.
So National Grid would have to bring it into the house from the street. Extremely expensive.
At my age I wouldn't be around long enough to have the difference in the price of gas recoup the cost of the conversion.

 

[billyS]

He charges about $250 for the annual tune up that keeps everything running.

My contract which includes the annual tune up is $169 a year, and covers all the parts on the burner. I had two parts of the burner replaced over the summer at no charge.

 

[billyS]

@genius , so what is it your company makes you renegotiate every year?
Do they lock you into a price or a cap?
And you have to renegotiate that every year?

 

[tony soprano]

My contract which includes the annual tune up is $169 a year, and covers all the parts on the burner. I had two parts of the burner replaced over the summer at no charge.

that’s a good deal. I used to have a contract with Petro, even had a part go with my current set up and with the reduced price by paying COD I still saved $600 over the winter that year.

 

[billyS]

that’s a good deal. I used to have a contract with Petro, even had a part go with my current set up and with the reduced price by paying COD I still saved $600 over the winter that year.

$600 more for the hobby!

 

[genius]

Convert to gas

Not in my area

 

[genius]

I completely agree on a contract with a company like Petro and their service response time. I had them many years ago but their service contract was going up to $250 back in the early 2000s and their oil per gallon was about $1.00 more than COD if I remember correctly.
Luckily the service company I use has come pretty quickly in most cases so I take the gamble. And it is a gamble.

$1.00 more than COD ("oh, let me talk to my manager and I'll see what I can do.") They came back with a better price that I rejected. I thanked them for their time. They then said "Since you've been with us for such a long time how about a locked in price of XX? — that's the absolute best we can do".

Ok I said , now lets talk about service contract.

They came in with some price (perhaps the 250 you mentioned) and I said I want last years price of 169. They said "can't do that - tech saleries, parts etc., increased dramatically but we can do 199" I said 179 and you have a deal.179 was done.

Point is I don't want to have to do the exact same thing every f**king year. Wastes my time, their time and aggravates me.

Once they didn't give in — I gave up and went with Slomins for a year. Petro sales person called back a couple of days later and was "shocked, shocked" that I was not renewing.

Note that COD price is a current market price whereas locked in price is just that — where they take the risk in the oil market. That risk has to be paid for in a higher price. I understand that and am good with it.

BTW, Petro is who I used and other than the BS at contract renewal time their service has always been outstanding.

Ps. I pay with credit card that gets me 2% back in cash (they send a check that I cash at my bank teller — doesn't go thru my household's books. I use that cash for mongering )

 

[roger4445]

I used slomins for the longest time then started to Fuelsnap to shop around and landed on Romeos after deciding that having one less thing to worry about then levels to my tank.