Beware of Heating Oil Price Scams!

You’re skimming through your local newspaper or shoppers’ guide and you come across a small advertisement you wouldn’t ordinarily notice — except that it’s promoting home heating oil at “low, low” prices. You’re a heating oil user and you’re well aware of today’s volatile prices. You are tempted to switch and pick up your phone ...

Please do not even think about it! Those “low, low prices” may turn into “high, high prices” after their initial offer turns out to be a “bait-and-switch” scam. We’ve even heard of discount dealers who pump air into tanks so their customers pay for gallons they never receive.

Here are some more heating oil price scams to avoid:

• Short-dropping: Drivers intentionally under-fill the tank while running the meter to charge for hundreds of gallons more than what was actually delivered.

• Meter tampering: Drivers fail to reset mechanical meters to zero before starting a delivery or use illegal devices to rig the measurement readout.

• Hose bypass/diverting: Fuel is actively pumped back into the delivery truck’s hidden compartments after the meter registers the volume.

• Bogus fees: Delivery invoices include unannounced environmental charges, fuel surcharges, or emergency delivery premiums that were never agreed upon.

At Cash Oil, we pride ourselves on honesty, transparency, and reliability. Our Northern New Jersey customers know they can count on us for high-quality heating oil at the best rates possible. Besides, as your local fuel company, no one knows you better than us. To order your fuel oil from Cash Oil, please call 973-383-4671 (Sussex and Warren) or 973-742-9000 (Passaic and Morris). If you are a current customer, you can log onto your “My Account” online portal.

Remember, there are scammers out there! If an offer looks to good to be true, it is!