Whether you’re buying your first home or converting to oil heat, it’s important to understand how heating oil delivery works.
If this is new to you, don’t worry! With this article, you’ll be a fuel delivery pro in no time.
Roughly 5.7 million homes (with Pennsylvania being in the top 5) in America use oil heat. With this type of heat comes two types of delivery options: automatic and on-demand.
What’s the difference?
It’s simple! Let’s take a closer look to better understand your options, and which choice is best for you and your family.
Automatic Heating Oil Delivery
This type of service takes the guesswork out of when you need a delivery.
Your oil provider will use information based on your oil consumption in order to estimate when you will need a delivery.
The provider will take into consideration your HVAC system’s efficiency, the age of your home, how much fuel you’ve used in previous years, and how big your oil tank is.
In short, they take the guesswork out of the equation and ensure you have oil heat to last you all season long. If this sounds like something you’re interested in, then automatic delivery may be right for you!
Benefits of Automatic Delivery
Besides the sheer convenience of automatic delivery, you will be building a relationship with your fuel provider and ensuring you never run low on the fuel that you need.
There is no additional fee for automatic delivery, and you are able to go all season long without having to worry about running out.
If your fuel is from a local company, rest assured your delivery will be prompt and on a schedule that works for you. You’ll pay for the fuel you need, and not a cent more.
Crank up the heat on a cold, blustery day and know that automatic delivery will have your house toasty in no time.
Your oil delivery company should offer you the choice of on-demand delivery. Keep reading to learn about this other (and equally important) option.
On-Demand Delivery
There are a number of reasons to use this type of service.
Perhaps your fuel provider neglected to show up, and it’s negative 15 degrees out.
Maybe you got caught up with the holidays and forgot to check how much oil is in your tank, only to realize it’s near empty and inclement weather is on the way.
This is when on-demand fuel delivery would be a perfect solution. Your heating oil provider should be able to get to you ASAP so that you and your family never have to worry about being without heat. Simply call and schedule a delivery.
It’s that simple!
Benefits of On-Demand Delivery
If you like to monitor your fuel consumption and be in charge of when you get deliveries, then on-demand delivery might be the best fit for you.
What does this mean, exactly?
For starters, you need to monitor your fuel consumption to determine when you will need a delivery.
Keep in mind, it’s best to give your oil delivery company 48 hours notice when requesting a delivery, so don’t wait until your tank is totally empty! This ensures you never run out of fuel.
How to Monitor Your Fuel Levels
Begin by removing the cap that your fuel delivery driver removes when filling your tank.
Insert a dry dipstick into the tank.
Next, remove the dipstick and place it next to the tank (vertically).
How high is the fuel line on the stick? Halfway? More? Less?
This should let you know if/when you need to schedule a delivery. Last, replace the cap.
Other Types of Fuel Delivery
Fuel delivery isn’t just for residential use.
It’s especially important for commercial use and can be essential for ensuring your company runs smoothly.
This is also true when selecting a quality fuel provider—someone you can trust and depend on. On-demand delivery is especially important in case of an emergency, to keep your job site up and running.
Commercial Fuel Delivery
As a business owner, there’s no time to worry about whether or not you’re going to have access to the fuel you need.
This is time-consuming, and when reliable fuel service is key.
If you unexpectedly run out of fuel, this can greatly impact your companies productivity, thus costing you considerable amounts of time and money.
By establishing a relationship with your fuel provider, you create a partnership that guarantees you the fuel you need, when you need it.
Working with a fuel provider also allows you to budget the cost of fuel, instead of constantly shopping around. It saves you time and eliminates the need to monitor, reorder, and stock fuel.
Time is money, and working with a fuel provider you trust will save you in the long run so you can focus on more important things, namely, focusing on your business.
Which Fuel Oil Delivery Is Best for Me?
Do you want consistency with your heating oil delivery, monitored by a company you trust?
Do you want fuel regardless of whether or not you remember to check your tank?
If “yes,” then automatic delivery may be best for you.
Do you want to monitor your oil consumption, being the one to call your fuel provider every time you need a delivery instead of having them monitor it for you?
Then on-demand delivery may be your best choice.
It all depends on what works best for you.
Still not sure? Contact us today to see how we can best serve you!
