Independent guide. Not affiliated with any business.
South Shore Heating Oil Guide (781) 325-8378

Oil company refused your delivery on the South Shore? There is still someone who will fill your tank.

A local South Shore oil dealer that still delivers to older tanks, inspects on the spot, services the burner, and takes will-call orders without a contract. Call before the first freeze.

Call to order oil

(781) 325-8378

24 hours, 7 days

Call to order oil

Before you call

  1. Read the gauge on top of the tank. At a quarter or less in cold weather, order today.
  2. Ask the company that refused you which problem it is: the oil line, the tank's condition, or its age.
  3. Call a dealer that will come and look at the tank before deciding.

If there is oil on the floor by the tank, do not run the burner. Call the fire department.What a refusal means and what to do today

Common situations

Refused deliveryWhat a refusal means, what it does not mean, and how to get a fill this week.The 2010 ruleThe law is about the copper line on the floor. It says nothing about the age of the tank.Away for the winterA fill, automatic delivery, someone local with a key, and the insurance condition behind it.Landlords and tenantsThe heat dates and temperatures, who has to buy the oil, and how to get a tank filled.Will-call deliveryYou call when you want oil. When to order, what the ticket must show, and what running out costs you.

The parts a dealer looks at

Outside Basement floor Oil tank Fill pipe Vent pipe Whistle Gauge Burner Valve and oil line
The whistle sits where the vent pipe leaves the tank. The driver listens for it through the vent outside and stops when it goes quiet.

What you can call about

  • Delivery to older and non-automatic tanks after an on-site check
  • Will-call orders, no annual contract
  • Same-week delivery, emergency delivery when you are low
  • Burner cleaning and no-heat service
  • Oil safety valve and sleeved supply line upgrades to meet the 2010 Massachusetts requirement
  • Tank replacement when a tank really is done
  • Fill-before-you-leave and automatic delivery while you are in Florida

Why call direct

Since last fall more dealers are refusing tanks they have not seen, with no warning, often by text. A refusal is not a finding that your tank is unsafe. It is a dispatcher's policy.

What the state requires is narrow: the 2010 Massachusetts rule covers the supply line and an oil safety valve, not the age of the tank by itself. A technician can check both in a visit and fix most of it the same day.

If you are leaving for the winter, order a fill and a low-temperature check before you go, and leave a local contact. An empty tank in January means frozen pipes and a claim, and most insurers ask whether you kept the heat on.

Hours

Every day
24 hours, 7 days

Location

Towns served

AbingtonBraintreeCantonHinghamHolbrookMiltonQuincyRandolphRocklandStoughtonWeymouth

Articles

Why oil dealers are turning tanks away this yearThe price, the age of the tanks, and who pays when one leaks.How much oil is in my tankGallons at each mark on the gauge, how to tell if it is stuck, and how many days are left.

Questions

Is this an oil company?

No. This is an independent guide for the South Shore. The number connects you directly with a local family-owned dealer that still delivers to tanks other companies turn away.

My old company said my tank is not compliant. What does that mean?

Usually one of three things: the supply line is not sleeved or has no oil safety valve, the tank shows rust or weeping, or the tank is simply older than their internal cutoff. Only the first two are safety issues, and both can be fixed. Ask them to say in writing which one applies.

How much oil is in my tank right now?

Look at the gauge on top. If it reads a quarter or less and it is below 40 degrees out, order today. Deliveries in a cold snap run two to five days behind.

I am leaving for Florida. What should I set up?

A full tank before you go, automatic delivery on a degree-day schedule, the thermostat at 55 or higher, and a neighbor or the dealer with a key for a no-heat check. Tell your insurer the house is unoccupied if your policy requires it.

I own a two- or three-family and my dealer just refused. What now?

You are required to keep heat on for tenants, and a no-heat complaint goes to the board of health the same day. Call for an emergency fill and a tank check first, then set up automatic delivery so it does not happen in January. A written tank inspection also answers the tenant and your insurer.

I'm a tenant. My landlord says the oil company won't deliver.

That is the landlord's problem to solve, not yours, and the law does not accept it as a reason for no heat. Give the landlord this number; a local dealer can usually fill after a same-day check. If nothing happens within 24 hours, call your town's board of health.

What if there is oil on the floor by the tank?

Stop. Do not run the burner. Call the fire department, then the Massachusetts DEP spill line at 888-304-1133. A dealer cannot deliver to a tank that is leaking, and that is the right call.

Call to order oil: (781) 325-8378