Maine heating oil dealer programmes
The five-plan structure (will-call, auto, pre-buy, cap, budget) is standard across the Northeast. Maine specifics: ME
The five programmes, decoded
Will-call
You call when you need oil. Posted board rate that day.
Posted retail
Auto-delivery
Dealer schedules based on degree-day burn rate. Typical $0.05/gal service premium.
Retail + $0.05
Pre-buy fixed
Lock today's rate for a contracted gallon volume.
Today's price, locked
Cap
Ceiling at today + cap fee. Pay lower of market or ceiling. Cap fee non-refundable.
+$0.20 to $0.40/gal cap fee
Budget
Equal monthly payment, reconciled in spring. No cost change, only cash-flow smoothing.
12 equal payments
Maine pre-buy consumer protection
5 MRS §6-103 requires bonding for pre-paid heating fuel contracts above a threshold. Bonded protection. Regulator: Maine Office of the Public Advocate + AG consumer protection.
Maine dealer landscape
58% of Maine homes heat with oil, the highest in the US. Long winters and small towns drive large per-household consumption.
Dealers known to operate in Maine
EasyCAP / Prepay Fixed / Fixed Price
Quote-only
Will-call / Auto-delivery / SmartPay
Quote-only
Will-call / Auto-delivery / Cap
Quote-only
Which programme suits a 275-gal first-time buyer?
A first-winter household typically wants will-call (no commitment) plus auto-delivery sign-up halfway through to avoid emergency-fee fills. Pre-buy is for households with a year of usage data. Cap is for households that want a price ceiling and accept the non-refundable fee.
Cross-references
EIA SHOPP last reading: 2026-03-30NYMEX HO settled: 2026-07-13EIA next release: 2026-10-05