Now you're heating with oil

Aidan O'Callaghan of Sound Oil left his card last week and we spoke on the phone Monday morning.

Dear New Owner,
Congratulations on your new home! Please call us anytime for details on heating your new home and to schedule a furnace tuneup (no charge). We have served your home previously (Sound/Anderson oil) and the tank is very low. Thank you. Aidan.

It's a 300-gallon tank, about 60" x 38" diameter. They chart the weather daily for a more accurate estimate, and they try to top off the tank when it's about 1/4 or 1/3 full. They bill at the end of the delivery month, and 40% is due at that time, or a minimum of $105. The oil is currently about $3.80 per gallon, plus 5% sales tax. He guesses that two deliveries a year is enough for this house.

We'll get a delivery today or tomorrow, because Aidan thinks that the tank is pretty low--near "residual." If it's 290 gallons, that will cost $1,102 plus $55.10 sales tax, or $1,157.10. But they will bill at the end of November for $462.84 (40%). I guess (but I'm not sure), that that will leave a remaining balance of $694.26 and I'll be billed for 40% of that ($277.70) in December, and so on.

I'll contact Aidan (he's my account rep) soon to schedule a free furnace tuneup/inspection. Sound Oil offers a $189/year service plan that even includes parts, or we can go T&M at $140/hour plus $30 per call.

Office: 206-725-6300
Fax: 206-725-5007
Cell: 206-940-1113
Email: aidan@soundoil.net

Sound Oil
6346 Rainier Avenue South
Seattle, WA 98118

Update: Delivery on Tuesday, Nov 11 at 4:54pm of 212.1 gallons at $3.799/gallon. "Dyed Diesel Fuel"--odd, huh? The oil was $805.77, plus $76.55 (9.5%) tax. Total $882.32. Driver is Eric.

Update: Returning home Jan. 22, I found that the oil tank was empty. (It ran out sometime between Jan. 17 and 22.)

Update: Sound sent Eric Jan. 23 to fill me up--280.7 gallons this time. The oil is only $2.989/gallon, so I saved $227.37. Not bad. I added $918.72 to my Sound Oil balance.