Your home to-do list might seem neverending: get the groceries, pick up the kids from basketball, volunteer for your favorite organization, fix the leaky sink…I’m sure the list goes on.
Running out of oil and coming home to a cold home screeches your momentum to a halt and puts a serious wrench in your plans.
Avoid the headache of running out of heating oil by enrolling in an automatic delivery service with your fuel delivery company.
There are 2 options for scheduling your home oil delivery
Automatic delivery and will call are the two most popular options offered by residential fuel delivery companies.
How automatic delivery works
Automatic delivery places the delivery schedule responsibility on your fuel provider.
- Your fuel provider calculates your estimated fuel usage based on the size of your home, your history, and the temperature.
- The fuel provider schedules your deliveries based on their calculation of when you will need oil.
- Your home is delivered oil on schedule and you are billed accordingly.
How will call delivery works
Will call delivery places the oil delivery schedule on you, the homeowner
- You monitor your oil levels by checking your tank’s gauge.
- You call your oil company to schedule delivery when you are running low (oil levels at or below 20%).
- Your oil company fits you into the schedule when possible and bills you accordingly.
Will call delivery is often preferred by customers who like to shop around for oil based on price. It also helps customers who want to carefully schedule the cadence of their deliveries based on their budget.
However, will call delivery always runs the risk of the customer forgetting to call, or calling too last-minute for an oil delivery. In our experience, will call customers are more likely to run out of oil when they need it most.
As a fuel delivery company, it is our goal to make deliveries when needed to protect the comfort and health of our customers. One service we offer to make sure customers are always taken care of is automatic deliver.
Benefits of automatic delivery for residential oil customers
Never worry about running out of fuel
Like we said before, life can get busy!
It’s easy to forget to run down the basement or outside to check your oil gauge.
Running out of oil can put a serious hold on your daily routine—no one wants to be left in the cold in their own home.
Automatic delivery ensures your oil provider has you on a schedule so your deliveries are scheduled before you are in the delivery “danger zone” (below 20% on your oil tank gauge).
This scratches one more thing off of your todo list and ensures your home continues to run smoothly–and warmly!
Control your oil delivery budget better
When you rely on will-call for delivery, you are constantly putting yourself in the position to worry about price. With market fluctuations, it can make your oil budget seem like a moving target.
On the other hand, automatic delivery helps you control your oil delivery budget better because you are on a schedule and can better predict your oil costs.
When you enroll in automatic delivery, you know when your oil is coming, and how much each time.
- Your delivery costs are more consistent
- You don’t have to pay extra service fees
- You can budget better once you know your general oil usage
Many customers find that by that their second season enrolled in automatic delivery, they are able to budget their expected oil payments throughout the year. Automatic delivery also comes with the added benefit of enrolling in a budget plan to spread payments evenly through 10-12 months.
Avoid emergency service fees or extra service costs
Running out of oil is an emergency for many customers. And there is no convenient time for it to happen!
Unfortunately, when you run out of oil, there can be extra costs associated with your delivery or service needed for your furnace. Fees might include:
- Emergency delivery fees – some oil providers might charge emergency delivery fees for last-minute or 24/7 service when you need delivery right away. This adds to your oil bill and contributes to the volatility of your oil budget.
- Furnace bleeding fees – to help restart the furnace, your oil provider might need to “bleed the furnace”. Bleeding the furnace rids the system of dust, dirt, and other particles that build up when oil is empty.
- Filter replacement fees – When dirt and debris accumulate in your system, it’s always a good idea to replace the filter. While it’s good for the health of your furnace, it’s yet another charge to your bill when you accidentally run out of oil.
Build a relationship with your oil delivery company
Sometimes, your oil delivery company will be like a silent partner that comes to your home and delivers fuel and leaves only an invoice (and a full oil tank) as evidence they came.
However, your oil delivery technician will perform important safety checks each time they are at your home to ensure your furnace is running properly.
When you are enrolled in automatic delivery, it means the same oil company, and sometimes the same technician, comes to your home time and again.
Repeat service gives you the benefits of:
- Being alert to any maintenance or safety issues with your system. The tech will get to know your system better if they are there several times a year.
- Adjusting your delivery schedule (and budget) to fit your needs. When the same company visits your home, they can learn your delivery needs and fine tune your schedule to maximize your budget.
This level of service will help you plan ahead for your oil and furnace maintenance budget.
Will call customers don’t always have this benefit. While we perform safety checks before every delivery, important maintenance notes can get lost if multiple companies are coming to your home.
Automatic delivery ensures peace of mind and better budget practices
It’s true that we wish all of our customers were on automatic delivery. In short, it helps us serve them better by ensuring they don’t run out and we are able to consistently service their home.
Will call is always available and good for budget-conscious customers who want more control over the cadence of their deliveries.
Automatic delivery helps us at Sperr’s ensure higher quality service. More importantly, it helps our customers scratch one more thing off of their todo list.
