Quality of home heating oil

[RORY12553]

I was calling around today to price home heating oil and the guy I usually use is about 2.90 a gallon right now credit or cash. Called another guy and he is 2.80 cash then I get another guy on the phone and he is 2.65 cash. Question: is the quality of the heating oil different possibly? Water added? For example with gas you have major gas companies that tend to better than your no name gas station.

Also if this should be moved to another forum please do so!

 

[firefighterjake]

I suspect the difference in price is largely due to what each company has for overhead, advertising costs, etc. I found a pretty big discrepancy when I called around for prices a few weeks back . . . in the end the smaller family businesses tended to have better prices vs. the larger companies who have more trucks and more ads on TV/radio/etc.

I seriously doubt that you will find watered down oil . . . possibly some companies may have a special additive for their oil to give it some special property . . . but in the City where I work I see all kinds of oil tankers all getting the same oil from the same oil tank.

 

[RORY12553]

I suspect the difference in price is largely due to what each company has for overhead, advertising costs, etc. I found a pretty big discrepancy when I called around for prices a few weeks back . . . in the end the smaller family businesses tended to have better prices vs. the larger companies who have more trucks and more ads on TV/radio/etc.

I seriously doubt that you will find watered down oil . . . possibly some companies may have a special additive for their oil to give it some special property . . . but in the City where I work I see all kinds of oil tankers all getting the same oil from the same oil tank.

Did you find the 25 cent difference? This company advertises etc. Had a conversation with the guy and he said its due to how much they buy and the hedges. Also offered a pre buy price of 2.50 a gallon with a 500 gal minimum which I could push out over a year because of the wood stove I don't use a lot of oil. Just want to make sure I'm not going to end up having him in there to repair the boiler due to crappy oil!

 

[firefighterjake]

Did you find the 25 cent difference? This company advertises etc. Had a conversation with the guy and he said its due to how much they buy and the hedges. Also offered a pre buy price of 2.50 a gallon with a 500 gal minimum which I could push out over a year because of the wood stove I don't use a lot of oil. Just want to make sure I'm not going to end up having him in there to repair the boiler due to crappy oil!

That's true too . . . volume discount and the price the guessing game/gambling game of wondering if the price will go up or down.

At the time I was calling around the highest price was $3.20 I think (former family owned business that I've bought oil and propane from for a long time . . . now owned by a big player) and the lowest was maybe $2.82 I think (family business run my a husband, wife and her brothers.)

I personally would not worry about the quality of the oil . . .

 

[firewoodjunky]

It all comes off the same ship. Diesel and heating fuel on the same tanker. Diesel is dyed, heating fuel is not. I would imagine that if someone was cutting fuel after offloading that the regulatory authorities would shut them down pretty darn fast. I guess you could be one of the unlucky ones before they caught them but if the company has been in business for a number of years it seems highly unlikely that they are playing games. Now, pre-paid can be a different game as I have seen a small company go belly up before delivering all the pre-paid oil.

 

[tsquini]

My opinion it's all about the service. I use a company what was expensive, but they came and filled up my tank reliably. I moved to another company with cheaper oil. They have a hard time scheduling oil deliveries. I need to call they to remind them the oil tank is low.

 

[homebrewz]

Some heating oil is sold as a blend with kerosene and will be a little more expensive than straight up heating oil. This is done for those with outdoor tanks to keep the fuel from gelling in the line. Also, off-road fuels like heating oil are dyed red because a road tax has not been paid on it.

 

[billb3]

http://www.newenglandoil.com/massachusetts/zone6.asp?x=0

the guys in my immediate area buy from the same two wholesalers.
Will see their trucks there filling up.
the rest is varying business model overheads
the companies that keep burner technicians on the payroll tend to charge a bit more.

 

[Jags]

Gonna slip this into the DIY/non-hearth room. A better fit.

 

[Swedishchef]

I suspect the difference in price is largely due to what each company has for overhead, advertising costs, etc. I found a pretty big discrepancy when I called around for prices a few weeks back . . . in the end the smaller family businesses tended to have better prices vs. the larger companies who have more trucks and more ads on TV/radio/etc.

I seriously doubt that you will find watered down oil . . . possibly some companies may have a special additive for their oil to give it some special property . . . but in the City where I work I see all kinds of oil tankers all getting the same oil from the same oil tank.

Where I live, a commercial tanker comes in and fills huge reservoirs. The company that holds the fuel/gas/oil is called Valero. Every gas station buy the fuel from them. Some will add an additive (SHell) but that's about it.

I think all companies are legit. Some charge more and some charge less (for the reasons mentioned above).

Andrew

 

[Fsappo]

All the same stuff. A 25 cent spread isn't too unusual.

 

[Longstreet]

It all comes off the same ship. Diesel and heating fuel on the same tanker. Diesel is dyed, heating fuel is not. I would imagine that if someone was cutting fuel after offloading that the regulatory authorities would shut them down pretty darn fast. I guess you could be one of the unlucky ones before they caught them but if the company has been in business for a number of years it seems highly unlikely that they are playing games. Now, pre-paid can be a different game as I have seen a small company go belly up before delivering all the pre-paid oil.

It's the other way. On road diesel is not dyed. Off road diesel and heating oil do not have taxes paid on them and are dyed red.

 

[firewoodjunky]

It's the other way. On road diesel is not dyed. Off road diesel and heating oil do not have taxes paid on them and are dyed red.

You're right - my bad. I knew it was one of them that was dyed It's been awhile since I have dealt with tankers.

 

[Halligan]

I used to deliver heating oil as a part time gig. The different truck's all pulled up to the same rack at the oil terminal and fill up. Same oil, different oil company.

Now gasoline was a little different. The gasoline comes from the same bulk holding tanks. It's the additive package added right before the gas is loaded into the truck thats different. There was a difference in the additives between no name gas station and the big guy's (Mobil, Shell and so on).

 

[RORY12553]

The 25 cent difference comes with a difference in service I come to find out also. Called on 12/10 and took till 12/19 to get to my house. Told them to fill it and the company says they can't due to back up in schedule. Will just have to schedule another delivery to fill it I guess.