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Prices for fuel oil and gas are still looking high this winter. The Greenfield weights and measures office has some tips for buying fuel oil and gas. Home heating oil is sold by the gallon. Propane is usually sold by the pound. When fuel is delivered to your home, the seller must give the purchaser a delivery ticket that must contain the quantity of fuel in gallons or fractions thereof, the price per gallon, the grade of fuel and the identity of the purchaser and the seller.
The ticket must be consecutively numbered for identification purposes and must consist of an original and at least one copy for the purchaser. It is illegal for the seller to put the ticket into the meter before arriving at the purchasers home. In fact, it is illegal for a fuel oil truck to be on the road with a ticket in the meter. The quantity of fuel will be printed onto the ticket after the fuel is pumped. And either a sales sequence number or cumulative sales number will be printed onto the ticket as well.
What You Can Do
- If you are at home when fuel oil is being delivered:
- Make sure you see the driver install a blank ticket into the meter.
- Make sure to get a copy of the ticket (you probably will as it serves as your invoice) and that it contains all the information listed above.
- Try to have an idea of how much fuel is in your tank before a delivery. This will help you determine if you have received the amount of fuel you paid for. For example, if you have a 200-gallon tank and it has a gauge that indicates it is half full before your delivery and you receive a bill for 150 gallons, something is not right.
- If the number of the delivery truck is not on the ticket, write down the truck number or license plate number.
- If you suspect that you did not receive the correct amount of fuel, contact your fuel supplier.
If there is a problem that cannot be resolved, contact your local weights and measures office in Greenfield at 413-772-1566 or E-mail the Sealer of Weights and Measures at alant1@townofgreenfield.org, or contact the Massachusetts Division Of Standards One Ashburton Place Boston, Ma 02108 Call toll free 1-888-283-3757 Fax 617-727-5705 E-mail at ask@consumer.com
Also, make sure that your furnace or boiler is inspected by your fuel supplier or other maintenance service person before the heating season or as soon as possible after cold weather sets in.
Keep your furnace air filters clean and replace the cardboard type filters regularly.
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