Bigger Is Better – Or is it?
As long as fuel oil or propane is in your tank when you need it why should you care if your provider is a local business or a national power player? Surely a national company has buying power that can’t be touched by the local guy … local is always more expensive … Or is it?
Do you know if your fuel oil or propane provider is local, regional or national? A local office or dispatch location is not an indication of a local company and often the first misrepresentation of who you are doing business with. (Hello “local buying groups” we see you!) Did you know there is a huge national company that filed for bankruptcy in December, masquerading in our local central NY area as a “local buying group”? But why should you care? Prices are super cheap … sure there are some added fees they don’t tell you about … and if you run out of product it may take them days to get there.
(STOP, PAUSE, RE-READ … yes we said DAYS to get there) … but they are cheap and you don’t want to pay more than you have to for fuel oil and propane right?
Well you’re right … they are cheap … so cheap in fact that their business model isn’t sustainable. So have you thought about what cheap actually costs you? What happens if this cheap supplier closes its doors over night? (They can do that you know) … Did you know it’s illegal for another company to fill that companies tanks? Where will your propane come from? How affordable is cheap if another company can’t change your tanks out quickly and you go weeks or even a month with no heat in the middle of winter? Will your homeowner’s insurance cover burst pipes that have frozen?
How will your teenager take 45 minute long showers with no hot water? How will your husband or wife burn perfectly good meals for weeks on end if you can’t cook with gas? And what will you do when there is no one to answer your call … no one to hold accountable … no one to care that your family is warm and ok.
But hey … they are cheap and that won’t even happen to you! Until it does … and did … in Pennsylvania just last year.
So yes a local supplier may be a few more cents per gallon … but that’s because the local supplier cares. The local supplier isn’t trying to impress shareholders and improve stock values … the local supplier employs local people whose kids play with your kids … whose parents know your neighbors. The local supplier knows they have to be here… because their reputation is on the line Every. Day.
They risk running into you at the grocery store or fueling up for gas … they know if they let you down you are empowered to spread the word … but their entire business relies on NOT letting you down … and they take pride in supplying that for you.
Understanding your energy supplier is the first step in being an empowered customer and we hope you will reflect on who you purchase your fuel oil, kerosene or propane from and assess if it’s working for you.
Not sure? Call us – we love to talk about how other companies are letting you down – but more importantly … we LOVE to show you how we are a different kind of energy company!
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