How to Get the Best Heating Oil Prices

Posted: Jul 01, 2012
Author: Bumgarner Oil

The costs of running a household seem to keep going up every year so fast that many people can’t seem to keep up. If you live in a colder part of the country, then heating your home in the winter can cost a small fortune. Many American homes use furnaces and boilers that burn heating oil. Heating oil prices fluctuate for a number of reasons, and because they are linked to the crude oil price, have risen sharply in recent times.

“So, how do I get the best heating oil prices?" you may be asking. Below are some tips:

• Call around and check the prices per gallon charged by different local companies. Make sure you include the service, delivery and other costs, if these are charged.
• Investigate locked in rates. These are when the maximum price per gallon is fixed for a period of time – usually a year. If heating oil prices fluctuate during the year, you could end up paying less, but you will not pay more than the agreed fixed price during the fixed price period.
• Think about filling up your oil storage tank in the summer months. Because demand for heating oil drops off in the warmer months, prices are usually cheaper then.
• Check if your oil company offers a monthly deal that includes filling up your tank as well as checking and maintaining it. Often a contract for monthly fill ups works out to be cheaper than only ordering oil when your tank is empty.