Just moved to Princeton NJ, any better alternatives to Petro for Oil? (2015)

[tomhbok]

First time homeowner needing advice. Wife contacted Petro for oil and was told based on the previous owner's 2015 consumption our monthly payment was a few hundred $ a month.

While I'm certainly new to this so the "sticker shock" was normal, what I don't like is a lack of visibility into the actual consumption-- in short, we're just taking this on the basis of someone's say so.

Is there an oil provider where I can login to their website and see/track my consumption if I became their customer? I understand trucks deliver the oil so maybe they all do things "on paper" but in this day and age have any of them caught up with electrical utility companies in terms of visibility of consumer data?

Perhaps Petro already does this but it would be great to hear of any alternatives. Thanks for any help!

[Kthnry]

How do you track your usage? You go to the basement and check the gauge on the tank! Or do you have an in-ground tank?

The oil companies use software that factors in your house's history and the outside temperature to estimate your usage and calculate when to make the next delivery. There's no way (that I'm aware of) to meter your actual oil usage like you would water or electricity. It's old technology. That's the way it is. When they make a delivery, they give you a receipt from the truck showing the amount of the delivery. The pumps are inspected and calibrated, like they do for gas stations, to prevent oil delivery fraud.

If this is a really big issue for you, you should probably switch to gas.

I have used Petro for the last several years and have been very happy with them. My previous provider let me run out twice, both times on a weekend, and they didn't come out to refill until Monday. I froze. Petro never lets me drop below 1/4 tank. Petro has 24-hour phone support with helpful employees and quick response to service calls. Their prices are competitive.

A few hundred dollars a month sounds good to me.

[captne76]

There are websites online where you can order oil, see the price and have it delivered most anytime you want. We've been doing that many years.

[tomhbok]

Thanks, Kthnry and captne76.

Kthnry your advice went a long way towards us having peace of mind dealing with Petro and we've decided to go ahead with a service contract. Ours is a regular tank and the gauge shows 1/4 full and Petro is scheduling a delivery next month. That said, your testimonial was really very helpful. Thank you!

[Kthnry]

I'm glad you checked back in. It takes a while to understand the world of oil heat if you're new to it.