A Letter from Mike Hatzopoulos
May 7, 2021
Dear Customers and Staff:
First and foremost, thank you to all our customers for all your orders and support this winter, and for choosing Oppure Oil as your dealer of choice. I speak for us all when I say, we always try and do our best when filling your tanks and taking your orders. And, to my staff, thank you for your devotion. It is clear how committed you are when working remotely; we came together and did a mighty fine job.
Spring is finally upon us. For Oppure, like mother nature, spring is our sign of the new year. It is time for us to reflect on our past season, and refresh/renew in preparation for the next. Oppure faced some challenges this heating season, as we lost a truck in an accident. Thankfully, no one was hurt, and no oil had spilled. At that time, we were forced to temporarily increase our quoted delivery window. If you were affected by this short-lived change, thank you again for your patience and understanding. This accident was a first for Oppure, and our replacement truck is due to arrive this summer. (Please see our Service Area for up-to-date delivery timeframe windows.)
The last two winters have featured above-average temperatures and below-average snowfall, and prices have been rather low during this same time. This was mutually beneficial, as Oppure was able to deliver more quickly when there is less snow on the ground. Our staff can testify as to how difficult it is to catch up from a snow day. This past season we only had two snow days (Dec 6 and December 17, 2020) where we were unable to deliver. Over the next several months, meteorologists will be able to predict mother nature and determine, with relative accuracy, how cold or warm the Northeast will be compared to average seasons. Their findings and predictions will be completely transparent, unlike economists, speculators, and hedgers, who are not as forthcoming with their findings and predictions. What is certain is you all will need heating oil delivered, and we all know how expensive it is to heat your home in New England.
As I write this letter, lots of folks begin saving for next season’s heating bills, and you could be one of them. If you think about it, 90% of your entire heating costs are incurred in just 4 months, December thru March. Why not spread it out? If today, you started a budget account of $100 per month you would have $800 saved for next season. True that would not, for most of you, cover your entire heating cost. However, a dollar saved is a dollar earned. Some customers save more than $100 per month and others save less, its completely your choice. We offer monthly draws on the 10th, 20th, or 30th of each month or weekly drafts on Thursdays. The graph below shows how equal payments work. In this example, figures are based on an annual budget of $1,700 per year.
Give our office a call at 800-359-4802 and our office staff will be able to set up your account and answer questions, and present specific figures when they examine your personal delivery history screen. It is important to realize that by doing this you are not locked into any price or contract and your funds are completely refundable for any reason without any fees.
In closing, there have been a lot of questions regarding the use of biofuel. We are often asked, what is biofuel, and what percentage of biofuel are we delivering? Biofuel is a proprietary blend of biodiesel and traditional home heating oil. Biodiesel is derived from plants or animal fat and is typically made by chemically blending animal fat, soybean, or other vegetable oil with alcohol. ASTM D396 (American Society for Testing and Materials) recognizes blends of up to 5 percent as equivalent to pure petroleum heating oil. Blends of much higher levels, over 20% are sold in our area and blend percentages vary depending on the heating oil dealer. Those higher blends are not recommended and should be avoided. They can wreak havoc on your heating system and even cause your furnace to shut down. Just as bacon grease poured down your drain can cause clogged drainage pipes, biofuel in your oil tank clogs supply lines. Oppure Oil ONLY delivers un-blended traditional heating oil and at no point have we delivered otherwise.
Oppure Oil has been delivering home heating oil for eight years. Many of you have been with us the entire way, and you all have truly made my career dreams a reality, THANK YOU.
To all the wonderful mothers who are reached by this letter, Happy Mother’s Day, you’re more appreciated than words can describe.
With Kind Regards,
Mike Hatzopoulos