Oil Advantage 40
Common Questions About The Marts Oil Advantage 40 Program
True Price Tracker and Rate Comparisons
When you enroll into our Oil Advantage 40 program, we GUARANTEE that you will be paying at least 40 cents less per gallon than what you would've paid with your previous full service supplier*. Here's an inside look at how we're able to compare with other companies - and why we do it.
How do you determine comparison rates?
Step 1:
Each time a new customer enrolls with Marts Oil Service as an automatic delivery customer, we immediately credit them $50 to provide us with a copy of their most recent oil delivery bill from their previous full service supplier*.
Click here to download the Oil Advantage 40 claim form.
We verify with the customer the date of delivery and that that the price charged per gallon was for automatic delivery of #2 heating oil - and was not a discounted, promotional or hedged price that they had negotiated with their previous full service supplier. Once this information is verified, it is recorded into our True Price Tracker database.
As additional customers from this same full service supplier are enrolled by Marts Oil Service, we capture similar information and add it to the database.
Step 2:
While our competitors do not make their pricing publicly available for each day, the Energy Information Administration ("USEIA", an agency of the U.S. Government) calculates the average retail price for residential oil deliveries in our area each week during the heating season. We use this information to estimate our competitor's pricing for any day for which we do not have a specific customer supplied delivery bill.
We do this by comparing customer supplied pricing information to the average retail price as determined by the USEIA to calculate a daily variance for each vendor to the industry average as reported by the USEIA. At the end of the heating season, we calculate an average variance for the year for each vendor (e.g., Vendor-X is 10% higher than the USEIA Average, over the season).
Using this annual variance, we take the USEIA's retail price for each week and adjust it by the annual variance for each full service competitor to determine an estimated retail rate being charged by that full service competitor during that week. This estimated price is tracked in our True Price Tracker for any day we do not have an actual, customer supplied price (supported by an actual copy of their delivery bill). This estimated price maybe slightly higher or lower than their actual posted retail price for any given day, but it will be close.
Step 3:
Using the lower of the customer reported pricing data or the estimated retail rate for the week; we establish a daily comparison rate for each full service competitor.
How do you determine if I have saved at least 40 cents per gallon?
Automatically each spring, we compare the total amount you were charged by Marts Oil Service during the prior heating season for your oil deliveries, to the amount you would have been charged by your previous full service competitor using our comparison rates to verify that you have saved at least 40 cents per gallon on your purchases. If you have saved less than 40 cents per gallon over the season, we will automatically credit your account the difference - GUARANTEED.
Why does Marts Oil calculate comparison rates?
Simply put, we want to make shopping for an oil supplier easier for you. Rather than making you do all the work to get rates from several different companies, match-up dates and prices, and sort through all of the short-term "new customer incentive" offerings, we GUARANTEE you long-term savings along with exceptional service. We provide comparison rates to help you better understand what other companies would charge you for full service heating oil delivery.
How do I know these comparison rates are accurate?
Each day we talk to other heating oil customers just like you. As we enroll new customers, we obtain the latest pricing information and update our database. You can also visit the Energy Information Administration's website to verify average retail prices at any time.
What companies are included in the comparison rates you provide?
Full service competitors are selected based on their share of the local or regional heating oil market and the package of services they offer to customers. We do not review rates for every company in the market. There may be heating oil companies not represented in our list of full service competitors that might offer you a lower rate. We encourage you to shop around for heating oil delivery and HVAC services. If you are currently dealing with a supplier who is not on our list, ask us to review their offerings to see if we can provide GUARANTEED savings against their pricing as well.
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Marts Oil Service, Inc. and the Oil Advantage 40 Plan is not affiliated or endorsed by any of the firms listed above.
Why do some companies offer more than one rate on the same day?
Heating oil companies that you know by a brand name often use a different division or group of companies to provide different oil delivery and HVAC service programs. You may not be eligible for all of these programs, or you may not wish to give up certain program features (i.e., automatic oil delivery, 24/7 repair service). Likewise, some companies offer short-term new customer incentive pricing offers to attract new business.
