January 23, 2012: SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT ABOUT OIL AND GAS
I had a New York Times reporter call me a few weeks ago. She claimed to have no knowledge of the heating oil business and claimed to be writing a story about the people who still burn oil to heat their homes. Her story just came out yesterday in her paper, in our local paper, and who knows how many other papers across the country. I realized after reading the article that I should have paid closer to her words when she said that she was writing a story about people who STILL heat their homes with oil, as in, why would anyone still heat their homes with oil when we have so much cheaper gas around?
I don't dispute the key facts of the article that gas is currently plentiful, less expensive than heating oil, and that many people (including one of my employees) are converting to gas or seeking alternatives; but reporters who are writing a fair and balanced account will include information about the down side of converting to gas. My company has always been a source of information about the pros and cons of heating your home. I openly spoke with this reporter as I would for any of my customers and was disappointed to find that the focus of of the article was simply that gas is cheaper than heating oil. While this is true at the current time it hasn't always been this way.
I will be researching and posting more blogs about the down side of heating with gas in the future.
November 8, 2011: ARE YOU READY FOR YOUR WINTER DELIVERY BILLS?
If you are the average customer who burns 800 gallons of oil during the year for your heat and hot water the oil truck has already been to your home; and, if your tank was between one quarter full and empty, you would have paid between $675.00 and $925.00.That truck will be back at least three more times, more likely four. Those are difficult bill to pay and I would like to suggest another way: The Crowley Fuel Easy Pay Plus Program!
It isn't magic but it does help you plan your payments on a monthly basis at a much lower monthly payment. Consider that the customers that we have enrolled in our Easy Pay Plus Program for 800 gallons are making a monthly payment of $288.00. The down side is that these customers started making payments in June but there are several postiives. The biggest one is that they don't have to come up with the $675.00 to $925.00 payment when the oil is delivered. They always get the discounted price; and, the only surprises that they will get, will be good ones because, if the market price of oil goes up, their price won't. They are capped at $3.99 per gallon.
If the market price is below $3.99, like today where it's $3.69; they will pay that price and be building a credit! No big bills, no surprises! Practical and Predictable, The Easy Pay Plus Program Check it out at www.crowleyfuel.com and give us a call next May to sign up!
November 1, 2011: NO WORD YET ON FUEL ASSISTANCE
For those of you who care about such things, we have received no word from the two agencies that we deal with regarding who has been approved for fuel assistance and how much they will receive! We have always been given this information before or during the last week of October. We have been told that emergency repairs will not be paid for until further notice either. This causes us a lot of concern for the welfare of our customers.
We are told that the problem is in Washington. They have not released the money to the states for some reason and it is feared that they will not release enough to be of any real help to the people who are counting on it. We have heard that the highest benefit level will be around $450.00 which at these high fuel prices will not even cover a minimum 150 gallon delivery.
What people need to do is join us in contacting our Senators, Representatives, and President to let them know what the effect of their inaction is having on our seniors and poorest citizens.
BAD YEAR TO LOOK FOR CREDIT FROM YOUR HEATING OIL DEALER
Many stories in the news lately about the high price of heating oil. Most people have been paying attention and have made payment plans that help them spread out their costs. Crowley Fuel customers who have taken advantage of our Easy Pay Plus program have the additional benefit of having their price capped while being able to pay lower prices should they come down. We start this program in June which allows customers to spread out payments over a 12 month period. To find out more check out our sample Easy Pay Plus Contract on our website: www.crowleyfuel.com.
For those who have not signed up for a payment plan, be prepared to pay between $540.00 for a minumum delivery and $900.00 for a 250 gallon fill. This must be paid on or before the delivery because, like most oil companies, we cannot offer credit. The reason for this is that we have a dangerously high accounts receivables balance. We cannot allow it to get any higher.
Some of this debt we may not be able to collect due to customers filing for bankruptcy. The difficult thing is that many of these are customers who have always had excellent credit but have lost their jobs and may be losing their homes. We do not run credit checks and don't feel that it is valid in this climate where matters can change in as little as a week.
Waiting until you run out of oil is not a good strategy for this heating season. We will be willing to work with customers and potential customers who start now to make plans for their heating needs. We work with all fuel assistance agencies and can help you to take advantage of this help. The important thing is to call and speak with Bob about your situation before we get too much further into the winter and it becomes a crisis situation. We must protect our business against further losses so do not expect us to extend credit.
October 14, 2011:CROWLEY FUEL HAS CUSTOMERS COVERED AGAINST HIGHER PRICES
If you are an Easy Pay Plus Customer of Crowley Fuel Company and, if you are a subscriber to the Worcester Telegram and Gazette, you might have read the article in the October 13th edition titled "Oil heat bills are expected to go through the roof" with interest but without worry because you are covered by one of the best price protection programs available.
Easy Pay Plus Cstomers have a set monthly payment that will not go up with market prices no matter how high they go. And, if the unexpected happens, and rices come down; they will get money back. This program is based on a 12 month payment schedule and is currently not available but, if you want to consider the Easy Pay Plus Program for the next heating season, you can check out the sample contract and comparison chart on our website.
October 13, 2011:TEN QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR HEATING OIL COMPANY
We like to think Crowley Fuel Company is different from many of the other local options you have for heating your home. When it comes to making decisions about which company to use, certainly price should be high on your list; but price should not be your only consideration. Here are 10 questions every homeowner should ask of their oil company. We are confident that our answers to those questions will provide you with some important insights into why there is a lot of added value for you in doing business with Crowley Fuel Company. We welcome your comments and feedback.
1. Do you offer a price cap contract to your customers?
2. Do you offer a service contract and/or 24-hour service?
3. Do you sell premium fuel?
4. Do you offer payment plans?
5. Do you supply oil through Fuel Assistance, Citizen's Energy or Good Neighbor programs?
6. Do you blend bio-fuel into your heating oil?
7. Do you offer a program that will protect my oil tank from corroding and replace my tank if it does corrode and leak?
8. Are you fully insured and do you have risk management procedures in place to reduce the chance of damage to my property?
9. Will you get me information that I need to make important decisions about heating with oil?
10. What is your price for oil today?
CLICK HERE FOR CROWLEY FUEL'S ANSWERS TO THESE TEN QUESTIONS.
