Approximately 10 miles north of the state capital, Lincoln is a suburban town set in the northeastern corner of Rhode Island. With the Blackstone River running along its eastern border, Lincoln provides easy access to the many activities and attractions in downtown Providence while offering its own quieter atmosphere and plentiful opportunities for outdoor recreation. When the leaves turn color and the first snowflakes arrive at Lincoln Woods State Park and throughout Lincoln, heating oil becomes a necessity for many households. With usage often exceeding 1,000 gallons a year, every few cents difference in price per gallon adds up quickly, especially during peak heating season.

Historical ways to buy oil in Lincoln.

If you ask most Lincoln homeowners how they buy heating oil, their answers will likely be similar. They may tell you that accepting the first price offered probably won’t result in the best deal. You might also hear that staying on automatic delivery with the same provider each year generally results in a single, fixed price per gallon. Therefore, they are likely to encourage comparing prices across multiple suppliers. The problem with this approach? Well, there are actually several. Blocking out time to call around, sitting on hold, and repeatedly providing the same account information to multiple companies requires extra effort. Then, it takes even more time to figure out payment and a delivery window that actually works with your schedule. While refueling your home is a necessity, it shouldn’t have to be a hassle.

Price-comparison websites can give you a general sense of the market. However, providing a list of numbers does not encourage the kind of competition that translates into savings for you as a Lincoln homeowner. Real savings come when suppliers are actively motivated to beat each other’s prices. Unfortunately, most traditional tools aren’t designed for this purpose.