Heating Oil: Service Options

A very important component of our membership is that we contract with full service oil dealers. They provide repair and replacement service as well as 24/7 coverage. How you use the service offered by our dealers is an important consideration.

Part of our contracts with dealers is establishing the cost of a Service Contract. The cost of a contract depends upon the dealer. Currently they range from $150 to $240. Each contract covers a defined set of service and parts. Every policy covers an annual Tune-Up. The dealer will provide you a copy of their contract upon request. Be sure to review it with your dealer before signing up.

Signing up for a Service Contract may not be the cheapest option for consumers. Getting a service contract is a form of insurance. Dealers are figuring the cost of a Tune-Up, plus the chance that you will call them for service. If you have a newer system, just paying for the Tune-Up is your cheapest option. If by chance you need an emergency service call, the dealer will send a service technician as long as you have an established account with them. You will have to pay then, but if you have gone two years without a service call you will have already saved money ($80-120) by not having a service contract.

If your heating system is very old or in disrepair, the heating oil dealer we assign to you may not offer a Service Contract. That is the dealer’s right. If your system is denied a Service Contract, we strongly recommend that you take steps towards addressing the problem. If the dealer recommends getting the system replaced, ask for a bid from that dealer and get two more bids.

If the dealer recommends a repair and is offering to do that repair for a good price, make the repair as soon as you can. If the repair quote is high, you may want to get a second opinion.

For most systems, a Service Contract does make sense. But do not buy the Service Contract until you have read it. It is normal practice in the heating oil industry to exclude certain parts and repairs from service contracts. By reading the contract before you buy it, you can avoid misunderstandings. A good service contract is one that is clear and competitive with those offered by other full-service dealers.

Whatever choice you make we highly recommend YOU ORDER A TUNE-UP EVERY YEAR. The saving gained in efficiency and by reducing future service calls more than pays for a tune-up each year.