866-671-9095
CONTACT US
MY ACCOUNT

Betsy and David O'Connell

Dear Friends,

As we approach the end of our 90th-anniversary year, we’ve thought a lot about what got us here — how it is that we’re still around when so many other energy companies have gone out of business or been swallowed up.

We think it comes down to going the extra mile for our customers, and letting you know how much we value your loyalty. Whether you’ve been with Wilson for 5 years or 50, we want to thank you for choosing us, and we look forward to serving you for a long time to come!

As winter approaches, we’re hopeful that oil prices will remain stable. Advances in technology have brought us historic levels of domestic oil production, and a heating fuel that burns cleaner. This is a lot better than what’s going on with natural gas, whose cold-weather pipeline problems can cause supply slowdowns.

Thousands of miles of old, leaky natural gas pipelines won’t be replaced for decades due to the high cost involved, though when the work does happen, most of the cost (as much as $1 million per mile!) is eventually passed on to customers. In fact, this is being proposed right now in Pennsylvania!

You should feel good about choosing heating oil, and you can count on Wilson Oil & Propane to be here for you this winter and every winter.

Warmly,

David and Betsy O’Connell

Boiling water

Propane has an excellent safety record, but it’s important to know your propane do’s and don’ts. Here are some safety tips to bear in mind.

  • Propane has no odor, but it has an additive that makes it smell like rotten eggs. If you ever smell a propane leak, evacuate the premises and call your local fire department. Do not touch outlets or light switches when you leave.
  • Know where your propane lines are located; if you don’t know, contact us and we can show you.
  • If you think your gas appliance may have been damaged by flooding, call us to request a technician to inspect the system.
  • Make sure that your furnace is cleaned regularly.
  • Have your range serviced if the flames are not blue; yellow flames indicate blockage to the air inlets.
  • Never use a gas range or a grill to heat your home.

Clean, Abundant, Safe, Efficient

Clean, efficient oil heat continues to keep millions of homes warm and safe no matter the weather. Recent declines in heating oil prices and positive forecasts for stable prices in the foreseeable future have made oil heat an even more appealing option. And there’s plenty of heating oil to go around because of abundant supply!

C – it’s Clean!

Renewable, cutting-edge and energy-efficient. These are all things you may be hearing about Bioheat® fuel. Bioheat is a blend of ultra-low-sulfur heating oil and biodiesel, which is made from natural sources, including soybeans, sunflowers, pumpkin seeds and more. Bioheat is made in the U.S., and that helps support local farmers, local industries and a local economy.

Oil tank

  • The most refined grade of heating oil available, clean-burning Bioheat has virtually no negative impact on the environment.
  • Bioheat produces near-zero levels of particulate matter during the combustion process.
  • Because of its super-clean-burning properties, Bioheat eliminates the source of most equipment issues.

Designed with corrosion-resistant materials, today’s tanks can last for decades. New technology allows for remote monitoring to protect against the rare event of a leak and guarantees that you will always have a sufficient supply of heating oil on hand.

A – it’s Abundant!

A driving force for the prevailing trend of stable, manageable oil prices has been the huge increases in U.S. crude oil production. The country is producing so much oil that we are moving toward being a net exporter, rather than a net importer. This could become a reality within the next 10 years, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Average crude oil production

  • Based on an average of 2.6 or more persons per household, it’s estimated that more than 16.5 million people in our country benefit from heating oil each year.
  • In 2015, U.S. crude oil production averaged more than 9.4 million barrels per day, the highest annual average crude oil production since 1972. See graphic at right.
  • The U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve has a capacity of 727 million barrels; it’s the largest stockpile of government-owned emergency crude oil in the world.
  • The Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve is a one-million barrel supply of ultra-low-sulfur heating oil for homes and businesses in the Northeast.
  • The majority of the heating oil used in the United States is refined domestically.

S – it’s Safe!

Oil heat has a lot going for it, and many people put safety at the top of the list. While there are plenty of reasons that people feel safe at home with oil heat, here are just three points to remember.

  1. Oil heat does not and cannot explode. Oil heat customers can be assured that the fuel stored in their tank is very safe.
  2. Oil heat is not a fire hazard. Heating oil cannot burn in its liquid state. Before combustion can occur, it must be vaporized by your oil burner at temperatures above 140°.
  3. There are no dangerous surprises. Oil heat poses a very low risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. If an oil burner malfunctions (most often this is due to a lack of maintenance), the safety devices in the unit will typically shut the furnace or boiler off.

Under blanket

E – it’s Efficient!

The latest oil heating systems are small, smart and super-efficient and can save you, on average, about 30% on your annual heating costs. There are many different equipment options to fit your budget.

House and money

  • New oil heat systems have efficiency ratings as high as 95%; this provides more warmth for less fuel.
  • Fuel savings have reached as high as 48% when outdated boilers have been replaced with high-efficiency oil boilers.
  • Many new oil boilers use energy-saving controls that greatly reduce fuel usage during mildly cold weather and provide a more even heat with fewer temperature swings.
  • High-efficiency oil furnaces feature variable speed motors that use about 80% less electricity than older motors and provide more consistent airflow and temperatures.
  • Heating oil has been reformulated and infused with renewable Bioheat to make it cleaner burning, much more environmentally friendly and significantly more energy efficient. This has paved the way for the next generation of compact, super-efficient boilers and furnaces.
  • New oil heat systems are so reliable that most manufacturers offer warranties for as long as ten years; if something ever fails, it’s easy to get replacement parts.

Sources: National Oilheat Research Alliance, U.S. Energy Information Administration, NYSERDA, U.S. Census Bureau.

Wilson service fleet

Did you know that propane is the third most popular vehicle fuel in the United States, after gasoline and diesel? Today there are nearly 200,000 propane-autogas-powered vehicles in the country.

Wilson is continuing its commitment to a cleaner, greener fleet with the addition of autogas-powered vehicles, one new Ford Explorer and one new service van that we purchased with an Alternative Fuels Incentive Grant. Wilson was one of 17 awardees of the grant, given to Pennsylvania schools, businesses and municipalities. With the exception of two service vans, 90% of our service fleet now runs on propane-based autogas.

Autogas is just one more use for propane, which has proven to be one of the world’s most versatile fuels.

Frank Barba

After being employed by another, larger home comfort company for three years, Frank Barba says he enjoys working for a family-owned company like Wilson.

After two months on the job, Frank has noticed that customers appreciate this difference as well, and that they appreciate a “personal touch.” Solving problems is his favorite part of the job, Frank says, and he never takes it personally if an upset customer calls with a concern. He understands what it’s like to be on the other end of the phone line, and he always does everything he can to resolve each problem to the customer’s satisfaction.

Improve air quality

Did you know that the average person inhales about 15,000 quarts of air per day and that we spend about 90% of our time indoors? This is important to consider, because indoor air can be as much as 100 times more polluted than outside air. The good news is that by taking some simple precautions and making smart buying choices, you can greatly improve air quality (IAQ) in your home. Here are five examples:

  1. Follow proper equipment maintenance guidelines
  2. Add IAQ systems: We offer a range of products to clean the air in your home, including whole-house filters, UV air purifiers and ventilators
  3. Buy natural, organic cleaning products
  4. Choose low-VOC (volatile organic compound) paint and other healthier construction materials
  5. Seal your ducts with Aeroseal duct sealing, a service that also reduces energy use — call us today to find out how you can save $500 on this service!

The latest from our blog:

Do You Need Air Conditioning Maintenance?

Air Conditioning Preventative Maintenance Makes a Difference! While early spring normally is too chilly to begin doing cooling tune-ups for our customers, there’s nothing wrong with booking your preventive maintenance service in advance so you can beat the warm weather rush. While the minimum outdoor temperature varies between models, it usually needs to be in the 60°F range before we start going out to do tune-ups. That’s because parts of your air conditioning system—including the refrigerant—are not designed to work below a certain temperature. How Important Is Annual A/C Maintenance? After a long hibernation over the fall and winter, your […]
Read More »