EnergyMiser101

Heating Oil Companies Offer Plan Options

 
     I'm a comparison shopper. Before I buy anything, from boots to bed linens, I compare brands and prices. So, when a neighborhood painter told me recently that he saved a lot of money last winter buying heating oil from a supplier I never heard of, I decided to apply my shopping prowess to that commodity so that I could learn how to buy the cheapest heating oil. I made a few calls, and picked up some interesting tidbits from local suppliers that should interest anyone with oil heat.

      The only sure way to save a significant amount of money on your per-gallon heating oil cost is to buy your oil from a C.O.D. supplier. The one my painter friend uses is in Newark, New Jersey. They do not offer a service contract, they simply deliver the oil when you order it and accept cash payment. You need to place an order each time you need oil. There is no automatic delivery. And you pay the spot price, whatever that is at the time of purchase.

Remove Caps from Bottles before Recycling

     The Association of Post Consumer Plastic Recyclers (yes, there is such a thing!) has an interesting website with daily recycling tips for consumers. Yesterday their tip was to remove bottle caps from plastic bottles before you put the bottles in your recycle bin. I was told that you should do this, but I never knew why.

      Here's why. Most plastic bottles are made from either PET or HDPE plastic. Both are forms of polyethylene. The caps are typically polypropylene. So, when a capped bottle is put through recycling equipment the plastic from the top contaminates the batch of recycled plastic. Also, caps and lids can jam the machinery. That's bad for the machine, but it also presents a potential danger to the people working those machines.

      So, remember that "caps off" helps the environment by allowing more plastic bottles to be effectively recycled. It also supports worker safety.

Getting Rid of An Old Underground Oil Tank

      My book club met again today, and before our talk turned to The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (a great book, by the way), we discussed heating oil tanks—specifically old ones, how much trouble they can cause, and how much it can cost to get rid of them.

     Our conclusion was that if you have an older, underground oil tank, it makes a lot of sense to have your ground tested for leaking oil, and, once it's determined that the tank is in tact, to take out oil tank insurance.