Oil use

Money goes in, heat leaks out
kevm14
Posts: 15201
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 10:28 pm

Re: Oil use

Post by kevm14 »

Based on living in 3 houses all my life (aside from dorms), which work out this way:
1) Growing up. City water. City sewer. Natural gas.
2) NK. City water. Septic. Natural gas.
3) Exeter. Well water. Septic. Oil

I would have to say that between those 3 utilities, the one I miss the most is natural gas. Septic CAN be a pain but my experience is it is quite low maintenance, though I did a tank replacement in NK not long after moving in based on inspection results (and negotiated a discount in fact). Well water can also be a pain but again with a properly drilled well (a new well was done on owner's dime before buying my current house), maintenance is really just pump replacements every 10+ years, and the water quality can be quite good (though many people seem to need treatment systems). Put another way, septic and wells can both present with high replacement bills, but also generally go a long time between those costs. Oil just seems like a daily/weekly/monthly/annual nuisance between keeping the tank full and extra maintenance.

I would feel better about it if I could do the insulation job, because as oil prices rise ($2.47 for 250-300 gal today) I am even more sensitive to the whole thing.
kevm14
Posts: 15201
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 10:28 pm

Re: Oil use

Post by kevm14 »

Next fill today. Could have easily waited a week or two.

206.1 gallons @ $2.59 = $533.80.

This should last until October or November.
kevm14
Posts: 15201
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 10:28 pm

Re: Oil use

Post by kevm14 »

Switched to Dupuis auto fill, with a ceiling contract for winter. Rate is $2.699 with auto pay discount. They just filled it with 193.5 gallons. Cost with discount is $522.26 indicating the $2.699 price.

Exeter Fuel online shows the price would have been $2.78/gal, though I forget what their early pay discount was. I think it was either 5 cents of 10 cents gal. So best case, about the same.
kevm14
Posts: 15201
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 10:28 pm

Re: Oil use

Post by kevm14 »

Dupuis just came for an auto-fill. Took 153.3 gallons. $413.76. Again, $2.699/gal.

Exeter Fuel is $2.68 for 150-199 so with discount would have been a little cheaper. Hopefully this trend does not continue. It is supposed to be a very cold winter so I guess I am hoping that means eventually oil prices ratchet up, which would justify my ceiling contract.

I will say that I like the auto-fill so far, as I expected.
kevm14
Posts: 15201
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 10:28 pm

Re: Oil use

Post by kevm14 »

Dupuis came for another auto-fill. It took 172.6 gallons. $465.85. Same $2.699/gal price.

Exeter fuel is $2.43/gal for this quantity, so the Dupuis fill cost me an extra $46.43.

So far, this is not working out, though this is really the first fill that was clearly more expensive (also notice how the price did not float down - that's because they obviously consider the "market price" to be higher than $2.799, which seems ridiculous but predictable). If this continues, my plan next year is probably to switch back to Exeter Fuel but get on auto-fill. I like the auto-fill, but the whole ceiling contract thing seems unnecessary (or worse). And still worse, next year if I stayed with Dupuis they would add some kind of fee for the ceiling contract.

And looking here: https://www.cashheatingoil.com/oilpricesinri

It shows prices down in the $2.32/gal range. Sigh.

On the plus side, if prices continue to drop, we may see just how big the gap needs to be before their "market price" kicks in.
kevm14
Posts: 15201
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 10:28 pm

Re: Oil use

Post by kevm14 »

Another 205.1 gallons. Same $2.699 discount price. Exeter Fuel is $2.44 for this range. So another $53.12 wasted. I guess I am in the $100 range as the total overpay amount due to my ceiling contract. Certainly not going to bankrupt me but it is a waste nonetheless.
kevm14
Posts: 15201
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 10:28 pm

Re: Oil use

Post by kevm14 »

Another 202 gallons. Same $2.699 price. Exeter fuel is at $2.54. Another $32.32 wasted, probably more since I am not factoring in the discount with Exeter fuel (prompt pay, I think 5 cents/gal). I will be very happy to explain all of this when I do not renew in the spring.
kevm14
Posts: 15201
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 10:28 pm

Re: Oil use

Post by kevm14 »

Another 189.9 gallons. Same $2.699 price. This was Wednesday and I forgot to check Exeter Fuel. Right now they are at $2.58. Around $23 wasted, maybe a bit more with the early pay discount.

Overall I think this has cost me an extra $155. This will be my last fill with them I think. I will need to call and cancel in May.
kevm14
Posts: 15201
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 10:28 pm

Re: Oil use

Post by kevm14 »

Canceled. Not sure what my next step is. Maybe just call Patriot and get on auto-fill (if they offer it)?

It's funny. I was asked why I was terminating services. Of course I said, well, the pricing. She said, you can't compare our prices to market prices because we're a full service company. That is such BS. I said "I was only buying oil." She had nothing more to say, because she knew that charging extra for something they aren't doing isn't a very good position (it's also not a good position that, perhaps, oil service is not profitable so the oil price is marked up accordingly, no way that is true). Now if the argument is, we charge more, but also provide services as part of that additional cost, then great, but that was not what the contract said.
kevm14
Posts: 15201
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 10:28 pm

Re: Oil use

Post by kevm14 »

I switched to Patriot auto fill a few months back. They came out on 9/23 to fill anticipating the beginning of heating season. Turned the heat on this morning as the downstairs was 57.

Anyway, on 9/23 they filled 129 gallons at $2.39. For that quantity Exeter Fuel would have been $2.45 but there is a discount for paying quickly. I forget if it is 5 cents or 10 cents. 5 cents would put it at about Patriot. 10 would have been a better price. Let me look. Either way I'll be tracking this as closely as I can all winter.
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