Home Heating Oil - Beware!!!

[Tommo2]

Just to let people know about a couple of incidents relating to the delivery of my home heating oil. I noticed this time last year that my delivery seemed to be  a bit on the low side and the oil didn't last too long.

Therefore the next time it was delivered, I made sure to be in the house for the delivery. As the delivery was being completed, I made a quick dash to the measurement gauge on the Oil lorry and it read 800 litres as opposed to the 900 I had ordered. I challenged the delvery man and he said "..I thought it was only 800 litres" and proceeded to put in an extra 100 litres without checking any documentation. He obviously knew what he was doing.

Well, the same incident happened again this year and I would like to draw peoples attention to this.

Word is that the delivery drivers "hold back" a small amount from each delivery and then sell a substantial amount at the end of each day to a friend at a greatly reduced rate.

[clarshack]

i suspect this sort of thing happened me earlier this year. i ordered oil in early nov 2009 which got me through the cold spell. i ordered more oil in late feb and it was used up in less time with a lot less usage. i have a lock on the oil tank so i'm sure no one stole any of it. i suppose most people trust the delivery men to put in the right amount.

[Tommo2]

i suspect this sort of thing happened me earlier this year. i ordered oil in early nov 2009 which got me through the cold spell. i ordered more oil in late feb and it was used up in less time with a lot less usage. i have a lock on the oil tank so i'm sure no one stole any of it. i suppose most people trust the delivery men to put in the right amount.

I trusted them as well. However, I now make sure that I am there for every delivery.

[Banana Man]

jeysus lads you's need to be in the house, cowboys the oil barrons are!

Last year i got a delivery and it was short, when i tackled him he offered me a pair of daler boots to make up for it, it 150 litres shy and the boots worth about £30 quid ffs, plus you wouldn't take the gift of them, he was told in no uncertain terms to fill the tank

[Abble]

where the customer is beat on this one is, is that we have no way of measuring what is contained in our oil tanks ! we cant tell by just trying to look into the oil tank whether theres 500 litres or 900 in there !!! so theres always that chance we could be getting done out of a 100 here, or 200 there !

[Muzz]

Does everyone not receive a receipt with the amount of oil printed on it taken from the gauge?

Anyone I have ordered oil off provide the receipt printed from the gauge - therefore if there was only 800 litres of oil put in then it would show and you would only be charged for 800. 

[johnneycool]

Does everyone not receive a receipt with the amount of oil printed on it taken from the gauge?

Anyone I have ordered oil off provide the receipt printed from the gauge - therefore if there was only 800 litres of oil put in then it would show and you would only be charged for 800.

I normally get my oil from Maxol direct and I get the gauge printout but I'm sure there's ways round this.

[Hardy]

Do you not get a receipt with the meter reading? Or are you saying they've nobbled the meter? As regards measuring the amount of oil in your tank, it's not hard, using a dipstick, unless the tank is an irregular shape. Take the dimensions of your tank and use your Junior Cert/GCSE maths to calibrate your dipstick to litres per centimetre. Dip before and after delivery and there y'are.
Edit: On reflection, this only works easily of course with a square-sided tank like mine or a vertical cylinder. I suppose most tanks now are horizontal cylinders, for which volume measurement using a dipstick is a bit more tricky.

[gawa316]

I heard they keep whatever is left in the hose at each fill. So the tanker pumps out 900 litres,  but only say 875 makes it to your tank. Leaving 25 in the hose, this would add up nicely over the space of a day

[Hardy]

I heard they keep whatever is left in the hose at each fill. So the tanker pumps out 900 litres,  but only say 875 makes it to your tank. Leaving 25 in the hose, this would add up nicely over the space of a day

Where do they put this 25 litres after each delivery?

[Franko]

Those gauges can be calibrated to read basically anything you want them to read.

[gawa316]

I heard they keep whatever is left in the hose at each fill. So the tanker pumps out 900 litres,  but only say 875 makes it to your tank. Leaving 25 in the hose, this would add up nicely over the space of a day

Where do they put this 25 litres after each delivery?

Not a 100% sure but can you not reverse the pump and suck her back into the tanker?

[Muzz]

Those gauges can be calibrated to read basically anything you want them to read.

Agree completely - BUT - then the OP's idea is out of the water!  That the guy was trying to swindle him by charging for 900 instead of the actual 800 he received.  Unless offcourse he doesnt get a gauge reading receipt.

[Main Street]

i have a lock on the oil tank so i'm sure no one stole any of it. i

You have to put a lock on your heating oil tank?
Are there people who roam around in the night time  conspiring to syphon the fuel out of your oil tank?
True Diesel?

[the Deel Rover]

i have a lock on the oil tank so i'm sure no one stole any of it. i

You have to put a lock on your heating oil tank?
Are there people who roam around in the night time  conspiring to syphon the fuel out of your oil tank?
True Diesel?

they roam around the day time as well main street doesn't have to be dark. i was talking to a lad who is building a house and they cleared out rads, hot tank , copper pipping the lot