Dear Friends,
Recently, I participated in a panel discussion at the Fleet Footprint Event hosted by AmeriGreen, a leading wholesale distributor of biodiesel fuel in the Northeast.
The goal for everyone there was to share our experiences in the biodiesel industry, including the exceptional growth we have seen with biofuels as a viable replacement for traditional petroleum-only products.
Speaker after speaker emphasized how critical biofuels are to building a clean energy future for homes, businesses and the environment in general.
At Westmore, we know about this firsthand. Since 2008, we have been using clean-burning biodiesel exclusively to run our fleet of vehicles. I even use biodiesel to fuel my own Jeep! (See below.)
Besides biodiesel for commercial purposes, we have also been delivering B20 BioHeat® to homes in New York and Connecticut for many years. Our BioHeat® fuel is a blend of 20% biodiesel and 80% ultra-low-sulfur heating oil.
Other companies use at best only a 2% or 3% blend of biodiesel. Because of our higher blend, the B20 BioHeat® we deliver burns cleaner than natural gas! It has been estimated that using B20 BioHeat® reduces carbon dioxide emissions by thousands of metric tons every year.
You can click on Fuels to read more about biodiesel and B20 BioHeat®.
Warmly,
Richard C. Bologna
Westmore Fuel customers never have to look at their ticket after a delivery and wonder, Am I getting a fair price?
The answer is yes, every time, with every delivery!
Just click on the Heating Oil Price Reports section. You can compare our prices with the average rates in your area.
Prices collected for the statewide average include those offered by discount delivery companies, as well. These are the dealers that offer no credit terms, repair service, pricing or payment programs or supply guarantees. If you take the discounters out of the mix, our price looks even better!
Normally, we are somewhere in the middle of price comparisons — above the discounters but below the big companies that attract customers with seemingly low introductory prices only to ratchet them up at the first opportunity. We don’t play those games with prices!
Please call us anytime if you have questions about your fuel pricing options.
Jeep Grand Cherokees are a popular SUV these days because they’re safe and provide a smooth ride. What’s so unusual about Rick’s Jeep is that it runs solely on biodiesel. This is the same fuel we use to run our fleet of vehicles and it’s a variant of what we deliver to your oil storage tank.
You’re going in the right direction by using heating oil to keep warm. But sometimes, you can lose your way as you try to remain comfortable while controlling costs.
Here are some tips to help you stay on the right path.
Did you know that oil generates more Btu’s of heat and warms a home more evenly than any other fuel? That’s why oil heat is the ultimate comfort fuel — and new technology has made it better.
Today’s oil heating systems are more reliable, more efficient and cleaner burning. Oil heat makes you feel safe too, because you don’t have to fear explosions or carbon monoxide leaks.
And don’t forget about service! You can expect to get fast service if you should ever lose your heat.
Contrast that with a neighbor’s home that uses gas heat. When your neighbor loses heat, he usually has to navigate through a phone maze, trying to find an outside contractor (like a plumber) who can do the repair. Getting a busy contractor to make a service call doesn’t take hours — it could take days.
Some fuel companies play rigged games that trick unsuspecting customers. They lure you in with a really good price — but never tell you that it won’t last very long.
Once you’ve signed on the dotted line with them, they start stepping up your price until you are paying much more than you would with us.
If you want to call them on their game, ask that “low price company” to tell you their posted price for existing customers for a few seasons. You can bet that the posted price is much higher than the “teaser rate” they’re offering you.
If you don’t want to waste your money on this game, stick with us. Our superior service (and integrity) saves you money, reduces your aggravation and gives you real peace of mind.
If your boiler or furnace is more than 15 years old, consider replacing it soon; the performance and reliability of heating equipment typically deteriorates after 15 years (sooner if maintenance has been neglected).
At a minimum, a new system should help you save up to 20% on your annual heating costs. (If you significantly improve system efficiency, savings can be 40% or even more!) You’ll feel the difference in comfort too. And you’ll also save on repairs, because you’ll minimize the potential of a system breakdown, a common problem with old systems.
A family that spends $2,000 per year to heat its home and reduces its annual cost by just 20% saves $400. If the new system costs $2,800, the payback time on a system investment would be only seven years.*
*For illustrative purposes only; energy savings and equipment costs vary.
We do everything possible to ensure that you never run out of oil! When we hear about a winter storm coming, we usually speed up our delivery schedule to ensure you’re covered.
For automatic delivery customers, we can predict when you need oil. We usually schedule a delivery when you have about one quarter of a tank. If you have a 275-gallon tank, one quarter of a tank means you have about 70 gallons of fuel left. Depending on your household usage, that can last a week or more because the average winter fuel usage is 5-7 gallons per day.
Please remember: If you call for fuel, we need advance notice so we can put you on our delivery route in the following few days.
Many people have added insulation in their home and followed other energy-conserving strategies. That’s good! But in some cases, these changes seal up a home so tightly that the heating system can’t get enough air to operate efficiently. Poor air flow can also be caused by these conditions:
Beyond replacing your old system or maintaining it properly, there are many other ways to make your home more energy efficient, reduce oil usage and save money on your heating bills.
A programmable thermostat is a great example. When used properly, it can save you about 10% on your annual energy bills. As you may know, you now have the ability to access a “smart” programmable thermostat remotely through the internet.
If you’re away from home, you can use your phone to adjust the temperature setting. The thermostat can also send you an email or a text alert about a drastic temperature change — and possible equipment failure. Some models even let you know when it’s time to schedule maintenance for your heating system. Now, that’s smart!
Why have so many of our customers stayed with Westmore Fuel for so many years?
We think it has to do with the way we treat you — by pricing things fairly, backing up our promises and just generally going the extra mile. But we’d like to know what our longest-term customers think, which is why we have decided to have a longest-term-customer contest.
If you have been a Westmore Fuel customer for at least 10 years, you are eligible to enter. We’ll draw three names at random from all contest entries and award three prizes: a new iPad Mini valued at $299, and for two runners-up, $100 in free heating oil.
So channel your inner writer and get in touch with us! Tell us how long you’ve been a customer and why you have stayed with Westmore for so long.
You can write to us at the address here, send an email to customercare@WestmoreFuel.com or post a message on our Facebook page. We’ll announce the winners in an upcoming newsletter and on Facebook. The contest remains open until Feb. 28, 2017.
The new wireless thermostat systems we install allow you to view and change temperature settings, check local weather conditions and more, all from your smartphone or tablet.
You can even receive alerts to let you know if there is a sudden or drastic change in temperature that could indicate a breakdown.
Westmore installs multiple brands of wireless thermostat systems — even if you don’t buy one from us. Contact us today to learn more!
Check out our Facebook page and “like” us! It’s a great place to find energy-saving tips and useful money-saving information, including blog posts on energy prices and trends as well as links to our newsletter.
Visiting our Facebook page is also an easy way to stay current on our latest equipment promotions, special offers and rebates — as well as special events.
Visit us at Facebook.com/WestmoreFuel today!
Q: What is an outdoor reset control?
A: This is a control we can add to make your boiler operate more efficiently. It will adjust the temperature of your heating system’s supply water to provide more heat when it’s colder and less heat when it’s warmer. For most of the heating season, the control saves energy by operating at a lower temperature, reducing the amount of heat loss in your home. Our experience shows that an outdoor reset control for boilers has reduced annual heating costs for our customers by as much as 10%.