How Do I Choose the Best Heating Oil Near Me?

One of the first questions people ask when they contact Tevis Energy for the first time is, “What are your heating oil prices?” It’s completely understandable.

While price isn’t the only factor to consider when choosing your heating oil supplier, it’s a good place to start this post.  We hope it will help you choose the best fuel oil company for your family or business.

Should I Choose the Company with the Lowest Heating Oil Prices Near Me?

Okay, let’s be honest — price is almost always a consideration when making a purchase. However, as consumers, we also know it’s not the only thing that matters to us. Whether it’s mayonnaise or a sofa, we can all think of dozens of things we buy where price is not the primary factor.

The same is true when comparing heating oil delivery companies. We understand price is important to our customers. We honor that by doing our very best to keep our heating oil prices as competitive as possible throughout the year, while providing fuel oil delivery service they can always rely on.

Tip: When comparing heating oil prices, be sure to compare heating oil market prices, rather than introductory prices.

Tevis Energy will always be upfront with both our market fuel oil price and any promotional discounts we are offering. But some oil companies do not want to give you their market heating oil price.

We understand we must earn your business on more than price alone, and we encourage people to consider the factors below when choosing a heating oil supplier.

What is the Fuel Oil Company Reputation?

Before choosing a heating oil supplier, a little investigation can go a long way in identifying a reputable heating oil company.

Read reviews and ratings. What do customers have to say about their experiences with their heating oil supplier?  Although they should be positive overall, nobody’s perfect – including us!

Tip: How a heating oil company responds to negative reviews is a strong indicator of their attitude toward customer satisfaction. You may be wise to steer clear of a company that seems defensive or does not respond to negative reviews at all.

At Tevis Energy, we welcome our customers’ feedback and appreciate opportunities to improve our service to them. Check out our latest reviews.

Check out their social media. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn are a great place to gain insight on a company’s culture and how their customers feel about the service they receive. Social media can help answer this question: Do the heating oil suppliers near me share my values and will the money I invest in them stay in my community?

Is the Heating Oil Company Responsive?

The lowest price heating oil isn’t much good to you if it can’t be consistently delivered when you really need it. It’s nearly impossible to consistently be the cheapest and the fastest.  We often hear that the lowest price fuel oil supplier will not be able to deliver for several days. They may pull through when demand is low, but will they be there for you when you need it the most?  The answer is usually no.

Tip: The lowest price heating oil isn’t much good to you if it can’t be consistently delivered when you really need it. Read their reviews to see what their track record looks like.

Tevis Energy stands by our promise to deliver heating oil next business day or sooner (weather permitting). And we are so confident in our Automatic Delivery service, that if a customer runs out of oil, we will make an immediate delivery, light the burner at no charge, and credit their account $50!  We offer 24-7 emergency heating oil delivery service to our Automatic Delivery customers.

And when you need service performed on your heating system, our sister company Modern Comfort Systems, gives Tevis Energy heating oil customers preferential service, and also offers a variety of service plans to ensure your heating system is always in its best operating condition.

Do They Pay Attention to Heating Oil Fuel Quality?

All heating oil is not the same. We fortify every gallon of heating oil we deliver with EcoPlus, an additive that dissolves impurities that occur naturally inside your tank as a result of condensation. If allowed to accumulate, these impurities can cause your system to run poorly. With ECOPlus, not only will your system use less heating oil and produce fewer emissions, used consistently, ECOPlus reduces system wear and tear, and helps lengthen system life.

Tip: All heating oil is not the same. Be sure you are getting quality heating oil with an additive that prevents take sediment from forming.

We provide ECOPlus at no additional cost to our customers!

In addition to bringing our customers high grade environmentally friendly fuels, Tevis Energy encourages our employees to conserve resources and recycle — right down to the paper shredded in our offices, which is donated to local farmers and the local humane societies as animal bedding.

Do They Offer Affordable Payment Options?

Even the lowest price heating oil can be expensive if you have to pay for it all at once, especially in the winter months when oil deliveries may become frequent.

At Tevis Energy, we provide multiple payment options that make winter comfort easy and affordable!

Tip: Choose a heating oil supplier that offers convenient payment options.

We value each and every customer. For those who may need help heating their homes, we participate in heating oil to programs such as LIHEAP (Pennsylvania) MEAP (Maryland) and Citizens Energy.

Is the Fuel Oil Company Invested in Its Communities?

Do not overlook a company’s history and stake in the community! You want a local heating oil company with deep ties in the community where you live, work and play. Some companies will claim to be local, and while they may have an office in your community, the decisions made that affect your surroundings come from corporation executives that live hundreds, even thousands of miles away. Corporations that outsource are not as invested to their communities as local owned and operated companies and are more likely to change ownership.

Founded in 1932, The Tevis Family of Companies is headquartered in Westminster, Maryland, with offices Essex MD, Gettysburg PA, and Stewartstown PA. Our family of companies employs your family members, neighbors and friends! We live local and support local businesses and organizations throughout central Maryland and southern Pennsylvania!

In addition to fund raisers, volunteer work and donations to a variety of local charities, For more information about Tevis Energy, its sister companies and new customer inquiries please call us (410) 876-6800.

Related Links:
A Local Company Shares Your Values
Discount vs. Full Service Oil Company: What’s the difference?
A Lock-In Heating Oil Price: Too Good to Be True? Probably.
Pennsylvania Alternative and Clean Energy Program (ACE)
Energy Assistance
Sources:
Maryland Clean Energy Center
Maryland Energy Administration