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5 Facts About Your Vent Piping

Discount Heating Oil North Central MA Oppure During the winter, we see many customers remove snow and ice from the fill pipe but not the vent pipe… but did you know it is more important to keep the vent pipe clear?  Although we certainly appreciate snow, ice and plants cleared from the fill pipe, we urge our customers to please take the time to do the same with your vent pipe.

Under normal operation (when we are not filling) your vent is designed to relieve the vacuum created from your oil burner pulling oil from the tank.  A blocked vent pipe can cause a no heat call.

Besides snow, ice and plants, another blockage culprit can be insects setting up shop inside your vent.  If we suspect a vent blockage, we will notify you and we recommend having the problem fixed right away using one of our neighborhood service providers.

A few facts about the vent piping:

  • The vent piping must be same size diameter or greater size diameter than the fill pipe.
  • The vent piping must be run and terminate above the fill pipe.
  • Vent pipes shall be installed as to drain toward one tank without sags or traps in which liquid can collect.
  • Vent pipes shall terminate outside of buildings at a point not less than two feet measured vertically or horizontally from any building opening.
  • Outer ends of vent pipes shall terminate in a weatherproof vent cap or fitting or be provided with a weatherproof hood.

If you have any questions about your vent pipe, call us and we may be able to provide answers or send you to one of our trusty Neighborhood Service Providers for a repair job.

What Do You Know About Your Oil Tank Gauge?

Discount Heating Oil North Central MA Oppure Did you know your oil tank gauge is a very important device?  Massachusetts oil burner code requires that a tank gauge be installed.  This is a very simple device but do not attempt to change out your gauge by yourself.  Without the proper training, you could end up damaging the new gauge you just purchased… or even worse, an improperly installed tank gauge could cause a leak the next time the tank is filled.

Tank gauges usually read in 1/8 increments and very rarely read completely full after the tank is filled.  This is due to manufacturers’ piping instructions when installing a device called a vent alarm.  Some gauges are combination vent alarm and tank gauge while others are just a tank gauge.

As a will-call customer, you are responsible to monitor your tank gauge and order oil manually, allowing sufficient time for delivery (see ‘Service Area’ for delivery expectation dates).  All gauges are not the most accurate, thus we recommending ordering oil prior to your gauge getting below ¼ full. This will allow plenty of time for us to get there and disregard any gauge error that may or may not be occurring.  For our automatic customers, the gauge is much less important since we will be coming automatically and filling your tank to make sure you will never run out of oil.

Did you know that you can buy an electronic tank gauge?  These handy devices have the range of a standard cordless phone and the receiver can be placed in a handy space perhaps in the kitchen thus eliminating the need to go the basement and check your tank gauge.  You can contact one of our neighborhood service providers for more information.

The Cold Hard Truth About Heating Oil

Did you know that our heating oil is the same exact stuff you can purchase from any homeDiscount Heating Oil North Central MA Oppure heating oil company? Yes, that’s right… they even get it from the same places we do.

The heating oil distribution chain is very simple. Large tanker ships pull into our harbors to offload their products. Prior to their arrival in our ports, our vendors (e.g., Exxon/Mobil, Gulf, Irving, Global, Sprague, ALPrime, etc) bid on the quantity they need to sell to their customers. From this part of the process alone, it’s easy to conclude that all heating oil is the same, because one tanker ship can sell to any supplier and it’s always going to be the same oil.

From our harbors, the oil is pumped into large storage tanks and distributed throughout the country. Large tank trucks pull the product from the harbors and bring it to inland storage tanks. Oil companies who operate near the harbors often pay less for their oil because they require less transportation.

In our area, we purchase our oil from the inland storage tanks, which is also where we fill our trucks. We have a variety of vendors to choose from and often switch it up. Somedays we load from ALPrime, and other days we load from a different vendor; it’s just a matter of who we are paying for the product. The oil from different vendors is not even separated in different tanks. It’s just like putting gasoline in your car – you don’t have to worry about mixing the same grade of gasoline from two different gas stations. This is how all of the other companies in our area operate as well, and when it comes time to load up the delivery trucks they are often waiting in the same lines as us.

Many of our higher priced competitors are lying about Oppure Oil, telling people that our oil is a lower quality because our prices are lower than theirs. Don’t believe them! These are just scare tactics being used in an attempt to invent a reason not to buy from us.

Some of our competitors even go as far as saying we add water to our oil! Let’s explore that statement for a minute. Water is heavier than oil and we all know the saying water and oil do not mix. So when you combine those two liquids, the oil floats above the water. Our trucks hold 3,000 gallons of oil and draw oil from the bottom of the tank. If we were to add, say, 100 gallons of water to our tank, this would mean that the first person we delivered to would receive all 100 gallons of the water.

There are no such thing as premium grades of heating oil like you see at the gas pumps. To understand the facts, as to why our oil costs less, visit our ‘How We Do It’ page.

Bone Chilling Temperatures: Stay Safe & Warm by Keeping Oil in the Tank

young woman using tablet computer

Due to the extremely cold temperatures, New Englanders are burning more home heating oil, a lot quicker than in previous winters.

We want to remind you to order oil before your tank goes below a quarter full.

The deep snow and extreme cold, combined with increased demand, has slowed us down a bit. While we can sometimes get there sooner, we have temporarily extended our guaranteed delivery time to within 5 days for our on-demand customers.

If you are signed up for our Automatic Delivery service, you will never run out of oil. You are in our system and on our schedule. If you have not signed up for Automatic Delivery, we encourage you to do so. You pay the same
low price, and you can rest assured that your tank will have oil in it no matter how cold it gets.

Click here to learn more about Automatic Delivery.

Are You Buried?

Tips from Your Friendly Oppure Oil Delivery Guy.

With all of the snow that’s been dumped on us in the past couple of weeks, it has been a challenge for all of us to keep up with the plowing and shoveling! It’s no wonder many of us overlook the need to keep our fill pipes accessible.

In order for us to deliver your oil quickly and efficiently, and for your own safety, we offer these suggestions:

  • Remember, if you can’t get up your driveway, it’s unlikely that we can. Please keep your driveway cleared so we can get our truck close enough to your fill pipe. Our hose is 150 ft. long.
  • Make sure that gates are unlocked and cleared of snow.
  • Please keep your fill and vent pipes clear of snow.

We appreciate your cooperation and your business!

Are Lower Oil Prices Here to Stay?

I’m often asked if I know, whether oil prices are going to continue to drop. I am not an economist, so I cannot answer this question directly. My daily price is based on the cost of oil to me.

So many things affect the price of oil. Right now, it appears that world-wide supply outweighs demand. Part of the glut is due to increased U.S. production as a result of hydraulic fracking. Last month, OPEC ministers, members of the cartel that produces one-third of the world’s output, failed to agree on measures to tackle the current oversupply. According to Abdalla El-Badri, OPEC’s Secretary-General, this decision effectively sets the level of the cartel’s output for the first half of next year.1

OPEC’s strategy behind the decision not to cut back its production is to make U.S. shale oil production less profitable, thereby squeezing out some U.S. producers. Should that occur, OPEC hopes to regain dominance in the world oil market.2

For the time being, oil prices are lower than they have been in about 5 years, and that’s good news for consumers. I can assure you, that Oppure Oil will always pass our savings on to you, by offering the lowest price possible in our market area of North Central Massachusetts.

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1http://time.com/3608881/oil-prices-freefall-opec/

2http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-1216-faulkner-fracking-opec-oil-prices-20141216-story.html

 

The Lowest Price for Home Heating Oil in North Central Mass. Just Got Lower!

The current price for home heating oil is the lowest it has been in over two years!

Oppure Oil’s business model has been structured in such a way that allows us to take full advantage of this recent down-market. We operate at the lowest overhead possible. All of our business decisions are made with a common goal in mind: to maintain the lowest possible prices for our customers.

We specialize in home heating oil delivery, have over 20 years of experience in the industry, and understand both up and down market fluctuations. These factors allow us to deliver the same high quality home heating oil to you for less than our competitors.  We buy our oil for the same price, from the same suppliers as all other oil dealers in our area.

When we opened Oppure Oil, just over a year ago, our goal was not only to offer heating oil for less, but also to be transparent, allowing our customers to access their accounts online. Our online gateway has been updated several times since its launch. Our low daily price is posted on our website www.oppureoil.com every day.

We understand that many folks may have signed a contract to lock-in an oil price with another dealer this summer. Oppure Oil will never ask you to lock-in or sign a contract. We don’t offer those options for many reasons; the number one reason being that we have been outperforming them right along.

Oppure Oil offers the convenience of online ordering, the lowest prices in our delivery area, and we often deliver the same day you order.

Why wouldn’t you want to do business with Oppure Oil? We welcome your feedback. Feel free to email us at info@oppureoil.com.

Visit our website to order at today’s low price: www.oppureoil.com or contact us to set up automatic delivery: info@oppureoil.com or 800.359.4802. We look forward to doing business with you.

Automatic Delivery Now Available

You’ve asked for it and we can deliver.

A lot of you have asked if we could set you up on an automatic delivery schedule. We have taken that request to heart; and have been working with our IT department over the past couple of months to ensure that our system is flawless.

Our state-of-the-art system monitors your tank level based on weather, size of home, and your heating habits. The system alerts us when your tank is between a quarter and half full; and we make a delivery.

When you choose Oppure’s automatic delivery service, you won’t ever have to worry about checking your fuel gauge or risk running out of oil.

Set up automatic delivery today! Just click on “Automatic Delivery” through your account at our Online Heating Oil Gateway or contact us via Email or by phone 800.359.4802.

We listen to your suggestions and keep trying to make the experience of doing business with Oppure Oil better and easier for our customers. We appreciate your input and your business.

Get to Know Our Neighborhood Service Providers

It’s tax time. Are you looking for an accountant?

We generally like to do business with local people and independent-owned businesses.  Why? Because they are people we’ve come to know and trust. They are our neighbors.

When we spend our money in the community, it stays in the community and helps to keep our communities solvent. “For every $100 spent in locally owned, independent stores, $68 returns to the community through taxes, payroll, and other expenditures. If you spend that in a national chain, only $43 stays here.”1

 So in that spirit, we have included a Neighborhood Providers page on our website, listing some of the folks with whom we do business. In addition to two really excellent local burner service companies, you’ll find service providers from A to Z. Our Neighborhood Providers include companies providing business to consumer products and services, as well as those providing business-to-business services. Many service both consumers and businesses.

We hope you find this page helpful and that you will consider doing business with these local folks. Heck, you may even end up doing business with our accountant, Bob Anderson.

1www.the350project.net

Old Fashioned Service Has Come Full Circle

I like my job. I’ve been delivering oil for over 20 years. Prior to starting Oppure Oil, I was an oil deliveryman for another company.

When I started in this industry, customers paid about $150 to fill a tank with home heating oil. Today, it’s more like $650.

Back in the day, customers were happy to see the oilman pull up to fill the tank. I was usually greeted in a friendly manner. At Christmas time, I’d show up wearing a Santa hat. We were always busy during Christmas week because everyone wanted to have a full tank before the holidays. When I dropped off the bill, the customer would write a check on the spot, we’d wish each other a happy holiday, and I’d move on to the next delivery.

Over the years, as the price of oil rose, customers became a little less happy to see me. In fact, sometimes they actually became a little hostile. People are angry over the ever-increasing oil prices. Folks think that the delivery companies are ripping them off. However, while the price of oil has gone up, the profits made by the oil delivery companies have stayed about the same.

For example, let’s assume the oil delivery company charges $0.05 over their cost. If the oil company’s costs added up to $1.00 per gallon, you’d pay $1.05 per gallon. If the oil delivery company’s costs were $5.00 per gallon, they’d still only add a nickel to the price, and you would pay $5.05 per gallon.

By combining technology and efficiency with good old fashioned, personalized service, Oppure Oil manages to keep our costs down. We pass the savings on to our customers. Now when I show up to fill the tank, I’ve noticed the customers are getting friendlier. They appreciate the fact that we’re saving them money. In some cases our prices have been 40 or 50 cents less for the same quality product delivered by full-service oil companies.

So the next time I pull up to fill your tank, come on outside and say hello.