Budget Billing Levelizes Heating Bills
Many home heating customers enjoyed lower than normal heating bills due to the unusually warm winter. The Weather Channel is saying that this might be the warmest winter on record. Let’s face it, this is unusual and it’s highly unlikely to continue.
Combined Energy Services offers a program called Budget / Levelized Billing to help spread the cost of your winter heating bills over the course of the year. The Budget Payment plans are the smart way to heat your home or business. We look at your past heating bills or estimate your consumption and then spread the costs out over the entire year with smaller monthly installments. Our payment plans run for 12 months (May 1 – April 30).
How the program works
Starting in May, you begin making payments. These smaller monthly payments build up a credit in the warmer months. This credit then goes towards paying your higher winter bills. It’s important that you make all of your monthly payments in order to stay enrolled in the program.
What happens if I have a credit or I’m starting to fall behind?
When the heating season comes to an end, if you have a credit, we can issue a refund or apply it to your next year’s budget program. If you notice mid-heating season that you are beginning to fall behind, call the office and we will adjust your payment to compensate for the lack of reserve. Your bill will also be adjusted for next season.
Do you have different types of Budget Plans?
Yes, we do! We offer three different budget plans:
Plan A: “Balanced Budget Payment Plan with a “Fixed Price“:
- Your price will be fixed for whatever gallons are reserved for the budget season regardless of whether the market price goes up or down.
- You will have 12 even monthly payments.
- There is no fee for this plan.
- Fixed pricing is available for propane only, not fuel oil or kerosene.
Plan B: “Balanced Budget Payment plan with a “Market Price“:
- All deliveries will be billed at the current market rate minus the $0.20 discount.
- This plan uses the local market rate & does not offer any price protection.
- You will have 12 even monthly payments.
- *This plan includes kerosene.
Plan C: “Balanced Budget Payment Plan with a “Capped Price“:
- All deliveries will be at the capped price or the current market price minus the $0.20 discount, whichever is lower.
- There is a cap fee of $0.18 per gallon for propane gas and $0.45 per gallon for fuel oil. The non-refundable cap fee is worked into the budget.
- You will have 12 even monthly payments.
- If your usage remains the same as we’ve estimated for the last 2 years, your payment can only go down!
Please make note of the following:
- The “CAP FEE” is a non-refundable fee for insurance that we charge the customer and pass on to our fuel suppliers. CES does not profit on this fee; we use this fee and buy “Put Option” Insurance on the NYMEX (New York Merchantile Exchange), to protect your gallons. This fee is “Non-Refundable” and will be applied to your account upon enrollment.
- Any credits that you have currently on your account have been taken into consideration when calculating the monthly payment. If for any reason you DO NOT want your credit used toward the plan, please tell one of our customer service representatives.Keep in mind, though, your monthly budget amount may increase by doing so.
- If you currently have a balance on your account, you must pay that balance in full before you can start the Balanced Budget Payment Plan.
- Capped Prices are subject to change daily, call today to find out the current capped price.
If you are interested in the budget program, call the office at 800-874-1975 or complete the form below and a representative will contact you.
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.