What you need to know about buying clubs
We’ve seen quite a few interesting things in our 50+ years in business. A recent trend is buying “co-ops”. These groups really aren’t cooperatives but rather groups that a propane supplier agrees to deliver to at a lower rate. This may sound great on the surface but in reality, it can be quite different.
For example, in Dec 17, 2017 – Jan 18, 2018 our area had an extend cold streak. Propane gas supply got tight, but even worse – delivery drivers simply couldn’t keep up. This particular marketer in the Albany, NY region was the main supplier for a buying “co-op”. The customers couldn’t get their deliveries. Unfortunately, they ran out of fuel and no other dealers would deliver. They were taking care of their own customers. These buying clubs push greedy gas suppliers to take on more than they can handle. Then when it gets cold and resources get stretched, the first customers to not get deliveries will be these club members – not their regular customers which they place a higher value upon.
Don’t believe us? Try searching the internet or click here to read just one of the articles.
Instead of taking a chance, just go with a dependable locally owned supplier that treats their customers fairly and has the infrastructure to keep
you supplied no matter how cold it gets. Combined Energy Services reinvests constantly by improving our storage and distribution infrastructure with over 700,000 gallons of propane stored locally. We’ve added 120,000 gals this year to make sure we have supply. In addition, we have over 1.5 million gallons stored in contracted underground storage.
Our fleet of tractor trailers and 15 home delivery tankers work from our 9 local storage facilities. We reinvest to make sure we’re there when you need us most. Since 1968, CES has been here for our customers at competitive prices, no gimmicks, or tricks.
Don’t fall for gimmick pricing or take supply chances with buying clubs. For a free, no obligation quote call us at 800-874-1975 or complete the form below.
Why am I getting a bill?
I’m on auto pay! You are actually receiving a copy of your invoice, not another 
bill.
Customers that are on auto pay, either with a credit card or ACH, still receive a copy of the invoice for their records. That invoice is either mailed or emailed after the delivery AND payment has been made.
Please look in 3 places:
- On the top right side of the invoice. The account balance due will say $0.00 if your automatic payment was processed;
- Also in the top right, next to INVOICE it will begin to say -COPY. We have recently had our software company add “copy” to the statement.
- On the bottom left side of the invoice. It will read “Please do not remit payment. The amount due for this delivery/service will be automatically deducted from the Checking/Savings or Credit Card that you have listed with us.”
If something didn’t process correctly, you will receive a call from one of our customer service representatives and the invoice will show an account balance due.
Interested in becoming an auto pay customer, call our office at 800-874-1975. If you wish to use a bank account (checking/savings) download the form here, complete the form and return via the method on the form.
If you have questions about your service or products we offer, please email info@combinedenergyservices.com Do not leave a service or product question in the comments.
Being home & auto delivery
How the pandemic affects your energy consumption
These are certainly unusual times. A virus, COVID-19, that is affecting the entire world in ways we’ve never imagine. A term, social distancing, has left many of us at home.
We are now living in a new normal. The way we are living and working has changed significantly. Right now, many of us are may be confined to the walls we call home. Only venturing out when absolutely necessary – for groceries, supplies, etc.
You may not give it much thought, but this can significantly affect your home heating fuel usage. If you’re on automatic delivery it can drastically impact our estimate of your usage.
For automatic delivery, there are quite a few factors that go into our estimate of your usage. Past usage history, degree days and K-Factor. Please refer to this blog post to learn more about our calculation process.
We’ve got degree days (Wow was it a warm winter!) and K-Factor but there is nothing in anyone’s previous usage history to account for what’s going on now. Nowhere in our automatic delivery program is there a checkbox for Novel Coronavirus or COVID-19.
This is where you come in. If you are on automatic delivery and have been practicing the #stayhome routine, you are undoubtedly using more energy – and perhaps blowing up the internet. Please check your propane gas and fuel oil gauges regularly. Should you notice your propane gas tank getting down towards 30% or your oil tank near ¼ give us a call.
This applies even more to customers who have moved into their second homes. Rather than have you run out because we don’t know you’re there, check your tank. Let’s #stayhomestaysafe and also let CES know when your tank is getting low. Call us at 800-874-1975 to order heating fuel.
If you have questions about your service or products we offer, please email info@combinedenergyservices.com Do not leave a service or product question in the comments.
Don’t Miss This Opportunity
Recent world events are giving us an opportunity to purchase the lowest capped pricing on home heating oil in YEARS! Call today and purchase your next heating searson’s capped price home heating fuel & sign up for budget billing. 12 equal payments – no surprises!
What is a price-cap plan?
When you contract with CES for a “cap-price” for the winter — we spread out your total annual purchased gallons over a “heating curve” based on historical heating ‘degree days’ (measure of outside temperature) over the last four years. We use this data to purchase “call options” from a broker on the NYMEX (New York Mercantile Exchange) for your gallons required over those specific heating months. This call option is really nothing more than insurance that the price will not go ABOVE a set price in the coming winter months.
But can I lose money?
No. If the current retail price of propane gas or fuel oil DROPS — you will always pay that lower price which is our “prompt pay” or COD price. Your real advantage is when the prices INCREASE as they do more years than not when demand for heating fuel increases. With a cap-price, you will never pay more than the price we quoted you when you secured the gallons with a contract. The most you can ever ‘lose’ with a cap plan is the cost of that insurance but when you weigh out the 4 out of 5 years pricing increases, the law of averages show this is a very smart, safe investment saving consumers a fortune.
What is the cost of getting a “CAP PRICE”.
This tends to vary year to year as the markets move up & down and the companies that sell the ‘options’ evaulate their ‘risk’ for the coming year. A cap price can normally be secured for $0.08 – $0.25 per gallon depending on where the market is currently. We can give you a quote anytime actually and encourage consumers to ‘pull the trigger’ for a price when they find it comfortable for the coming year. If a dealer isn’t telling you a cost per gallon or says there isn’t one — they are hopefully building that price into the gallon price but what could be worse — they aren’t actually purchasing any protection for your gallons. Not good and happens all too often by sketchy fuel dealers “playing the market” with your money.
If you are interested in a cap price plan, please call the office at 800-874-1975 or complete the form below and a specialist will reach out to you. Please note, budget plans are sent to customers in April and payments begin in May.
If you have questions about your service or products we offer, please email info@combinedenergyservices.com Do not leave a service or product question in the comments.
Automatic Delivery Contest Snowblower Winner Announced!
CES offered an incentive to sign up for automatic delivery by giving away a snowblower to one random winner. The winner was selected from Combined Energy Services automatic delivery customers on Wednesday, January 22, and the lucky customer was Ken & Alissa Geringer of Rock Hill.
The Geringers, along with their fur baby Duke, took ownership of the snowblower from Sales Representative Moose Liff. Long-time automatic delivery customers, they appreciate CES’s support of animal charities. Duke is a former resident of the Sullivan County SPCA, an organization we are proud to support.
Ken said “I feel like I won the lottery! I never win anything.”
There are many benefits of enrolling in automatic deliveries:
- No More Waiting for heating fuel. Don’t you hate when you run out of heating fuel? You call to schedule a delivery and the company you’re calling informs you that the delivery cannot be until next week? With automatic deliveries, you don’t have to worry!
- No More Scheduling Deliveries. Our system monitors your usage and schedules a delivery based off that information.
- No More Gauge Checking. Forget about having to check gauges anymore. We monitor your tank, so you don’t have to!
- No More Out-Of-Gas Situations. There’s nothing worse than running out of heating fuel. With auto delivery, you shouldn’t run out of fuel*.
- Get Even More Protection with our Remote Tank Monitoring System. For a small monthly fee (or free is you use 600 gallons per year), customers can sign up and receive a wireless tank monitoring system. Ideal for homes with high usage or second homes and cottages, this added protection allows us to remotely monitor your system. We also have a remote monitoring application for fuel oil – the Smart Oil Gauge. Learn more!
- Use the CES Smartphone App for even more account insight! With both Apple & Android applications, the CES app is a great way to manage your account. You can view the estimated amount remaining in your tank, look at historical data (both payments & deliveries) and pay your bill. All with just a few swipes on the phone.
Call your local CES office at 800-874-1975 to sign up today!
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