How Does Automatic Fuel Delivery Work?
And why it can make the heating season a lot easier
Keeping your home comfortable shouldn’t mean constantly checking your fuel gauge or wondering when it’s time to place another order. With Rhoads Energy Automatic Delivery, we track your fuel needs for you. There’s no additional cost to be an Automatic Delivery customer, and you’ll have one less thing to remember during heating season.
How does Rhoads know when I need a delivery?
We use specialized software that looks at current temperatures along with your household’s previous fuel usage to estimate when you’re ready for your
next delivery.
Our goal is to schedule your delivery before your supply gets too low — typically when an oil tank is estimated to be around 25% remaining or a propane tank is around 30% capacity.
That means you don’t have to continually monitor your gauge or remember to call every time you need fuel.
Do I still need to check my tank?
Automatic Delivery is designed to take the day-to-day monitoring off your list. However, our delivery estimates are based partly on your previous fuel usage. If something changes significantly in your home, it can affect how quickly you use heating Oil or propane. It’s always a good idea to occasionally be aware of your tank level, particularly if your household or fuel usage has recently changed.
When should I contact Rhoads?
Let us know if something has changed that could cause you to use more fuel than usual. For example:
- You’ve stopped using an alternative or supplemental heat source.
- More people are now living in your home.
- You’re spending considerably more time at home.
- You’ve added a new propane or fuel-burning appliance.
- Your heating or hot-water usage has changed significantly.
Keeping us updated helps make our delivery estimates more accurate.
What happens if my tank runs out?
Running out of fuel can mean more than an uncomfortable home.
– For heating Oil customers, additional service may be needed to get the heating system operating again, such as a prime and start.
– For propane customers, a runout may require additional safety procedures, including a leak check, before service can be restored.
Automatic Delivery is designed to reduce the risk of a runout by scheduling your deliveries based on your estimated usage.
Automatic Delivery or Will Call: which is right for me?
Both options are available — it comes down to how you prefer to manage your fuel.
- Automatic Delivery may be a good fit if you want Rhoads to help track your usage and determine when your next delivery should be scheduled.
- Will Call may be a better fit if you prefer to monitor your own tank level and contact us whenever you’re ready to schedule a delivery.
The important thing is choosing the option that works best for your household.
Can Automatic Delivery help me plan for fuel costs too?
Automatic Delivery can also open the door to other ways to make heating season easier to manage.
Eligible Automatic Delivery customers can explore Rhoads Energy Price Protection Plans, which offer options designed to provide greater control and predictability around Bioheating Oil or propane pricing.
Explore Price Protection Plans
Can I manage my account online?
Yes. Whether you’re an Automatic Delivery or Will Call customer, the My Rhoads online portal gives you a convenient way to manage your account.
You can view account information, make payments and take care of common account tasks online.
Ready to make fuel delivery one less thing to worry about?
If you’d rather leave the timing of your next fuel delivery to us, Automatic Delivery can make heating season simpler.