For residences heated with home heating oil, a.k.a “#2 heating oil” or “fuel oil,” heat is one of a homeowner’s biggest annual expenses. Therefore, finding the best price is important: pennies saved per gallon add up to thousands of dollars of savings over a home’s lifetime. This comprehensive guide will help you navigate the process of ordering heating oil deliveries in your area that find the right balance between price and convenience that best fit your family’s needs. Heating Oil Dealers Unlike utility monopolies such as your electric company or cable company, where you have only a single choice of provider, home heating oil is delivered by 2,000+ dealers (SUSB Annual Data Tables, US Census Bureau) competing for you as a client. This competition benefits homeowners by driving heating oil prices down, and driving quality and customer service up. Heating oil companies generally fit into one of two categories. Heating Oil Dealer Categories “Discount” (a.k.a. COD Fuel, Will Call, or Cash Heating Oil) “Full Service” Discount Heating Oil Companies a.k.a. “COD fuel” or “Cash Heating Oil“ In the same way that JetBlue is able to offer high quality flights at low prices by eliminating frills like free meals and checked luggage, discount oil companies offer the best prices for high quality heating oil by eliminating frills and focusing on prompt, efficient delivery. Discount fuel oil dealers are lean oil delivery machines that have eliminated costly expenses that full-service oil companies need to charge a premium in order to afford, for example: teams of salespeople visiting customer homes, newspaper and direct mail ad campaigns, expensive software packages, etc. Buying #2 heating oil from a discount oil company is as easy as buying gas for your car: when your heating oil gauge says you’re running low, you place an oil order. Typically, orders are delivered the following business day, but, many companies will juggle their schedules to make a same-day delivery if you’ve run out of oil or are running dangerously low. Luckily, unlike your car which needs gas every week (or more!), your home heating oil tank is large and only needs 3-4 fill-ups per year.