| State Oil Dealers Launch Public Relations Campaign |
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| Written by Victoria Wallack | ||||||||||||||||
| Thursday, July 31, 2008 | ||||||||||||||||
AUGUSTA — Maine’s oil dealers are going on the road for a series of town hall-like forums and training their furnace technicians to spot obvious energy wasters such as leaky windows and doors to help keep their customers from revolting this winter.
Natural gas companies also are making a pitch to get people to convert in the more populated areas of the state where gas lines already exist — an access problem that has kept the number of households heating with natural gas low compared to other states. The majority of the 80 percent of households in Maine that will continue to use oil this winter no doubt will be unhappy about the price and that could spill over into their relationship with the fuel delivery man. Py, who is planning eight public forums around the state, said he will talk about what’s going on in the market that’s driving the price, have a panel discussion on things people can do to reduce consumption, discuss the dangers of improperly installed heaters or stoves, and ask customers not to take out this winter’s prices on their oil man. “I’m going to tell them not to murder their oil dealer when they come with an $800 bill,” Py said. Py admits that part of it is a public relations campaign, but one that can save people money. “Yes, we’re looking out for our turf. We’re not denying that,” Py said. “We’d rather keep you as a customer and sell you 70 percent of what we sold you last year.” The schedule of the forums will be formalized in early August. Technicians working for the oil companies also will be trained to do a basic review of customers’ homes to help them conserve energy this winter. The reviews won’t be full-blown energy audits, but they will be a start, Py said. The oil dealers already are circulating a checklist of top conservation tips. They are: • Save 5 percent with an annual furnace tune-up. • Save 5 percent or more with a programmable thermostat. · Space heaters using propane, oil and kerosene can reduce fuel usage. • Energy-efficient indirect water heaters and instant-on hot water systems save energy. • Automatic outdoor reset controls help your boiler run more efficiently. Replacing old burners or heating systems can reduce heating costs up to 40 percent Insulation, caulking drafts and replacing old windows can cut heating costs dramatically. The comments listed below are the opinion of the listed author and do not necessarily represent those of Ellsworth American, Inc. 1. Untitled willard emery [Corrected as to spelling, etc.] No one wants the hassle of burning pellets or cordwood, but we are being forced to as heating oil is now about twice the cost per BTU and closing in on the cost to heat with electricity - as most Canadians do now. New Brunswick gets cheaper electric power from its nuclear plant at Point Lepreau and may add a second reactor, the province is way ahead of Maine and New England in reaching energy self-sufficiency. Oil dealers can't solve the problem of high-cost heating oil and most Mainers already know that windows, etc. need to be caulked with "Mortite"... Save your PR money dealers and pass on the savings as a lower mark-up. Think about it.. You are probably in a declining business anyway. To survive become "Fuel Dealers": pellets, cordwood, coal, whatever fuel is best for Mainers. Pellets seem to be one of the best alternatives now, so why don't you gear up to help your customers who want to add that fuel as a supplement to heating oil? You could make money selling, installing and servicing pellet heating appliances, and pellets. Also, use your lobbying clout, before it declines, to try to get a cost-leveling tax on natural gas used to heat to subsidize heating oil. It's only fair that the cost to heat with gas or oil be equalized. Posted 07/30/2008 23:41:34 |
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