Frequently Asked Questions

How Can We Help?

Find answers to common questions about comparing heating oil prices, setting up alerts, and saving money on your next delivery.

General Questions

Yes, completely free with no hidden fees. You'll never be charged for browsing prices, creating an account, setting up price alerts, or saving favorite dealers. All features are 100% free for Rhode Island homeowners.

We operate on a pay-per-click model. When you click a dealer's phone number or website link, the dealer pays a small fee. This keeps the service free for Rhode Island homeowners while giving dealers a cost-effective way to reach customers.

No account is required to browse and compare prices. However, creating a free account (takes about 30 seconds) unlocks additional features like email price alerts, saving favorite dealers, and accessing your personalized pricing page from the header menu.

We cover all of Rhode Island except Block Island. Simply enter your ZIP code on the homepage to see dealers that deliver to your area. Most dealers serve multiple towns, so you'll typically see 10-20+ options regardless of where you live in the state.

Pricing & Updates

Dealer prices are automatically refreshed every 2 hours, and dealers can also update their pricing in real-time through their dashboard. Dealers who do not keep their pricing updated daily have their listings removed until pricing is updated—ensuring you only see current, accurate rates.

Prices vary based on several factors: the dealer's wholesale costs, delivery route efficiency, minimum gallon requirements, and business overhead. Some dealers offer lower prices for larger orders (150+ gallons), while others have flat pricing. Always check the minimum gallon requirement before ordering.

Most dealers require a minimum order (typically 100-150 gallons) to make delivery economically viable. If you order less than the minimum, you may be charged a small-order fee or the dealer may decline the order. The minimum is clearly displayed on each dealer's listing.

The prices shown are the per-gallon rate for cash/COD orders. Your total will be this rate multiplied by gallons ordered. Some dealers may charge extra for credit card payments (typically 2-3%) or offer discounts for automatic delivery programs. Contact the dealer directly to confirm any additional fees.

Price Alerts

Price alerts let you set a target price per gallon and choose whether to monitor all dealers or only your favorites. Our system monitors prices continuously and sends you an email the moment a dealer meets your threshold. Each alert is one-time (automatically deleted after sending), so you won't be spammed with repeated notifications.

Currently, you can have one active price alert at a time. This keeps things simple and prevents notification overload. You can modify your target price or switch between monitoring all dealers vs. favorites only at any time from your account settings.

Once a dealer meets your price threshold and you receive the email notification, that alert is automatically deleted. This is by design—it's a one-time notification to let you know prices have dropped. You can then create a new alert with a different target price if you want to continue monitoring.

Yes! When setting up a price alert, you can toggle "Favorites only" to monitor just the dealers you've saved. This is useful if you prefer certain dealers for their service quality or delivery speed and only want to know when they specifically drop their prices.

Favorite Dealers

Click the heart icon on any dealer's listing to add them to your favorites. You'll need a free account to use this feature. Your favorites are saved permanently and sync across devices when you're logged in.

Yes! Once you have favorites saved, a "Show favorites only" toggle appears above the dealer listings. This lets you quickly compare prices among just the dealers you trust, without scrolling through the full list.

No limit—save as many dealers as you like. Some customers save 2-3 trusted dealers, while others save 10+ to have more options when comparing prices. It's entirely up to you.

Ordering & Delivery

We connect you directly with dealers—no middleman involved. Click a dealer's phone number to call them immediately, or click their website link to visit their online ordering page. The transaction happens between you and the dealer; we simply help you find the best price.

Each dealer displays their estimated delivery timeframe (e.g., "1-2 days" or "Same day"). This is an estimate for how quickly they can deliver after you place an order. During peak heating season (December-February), delivery times may be longer due to high demand.

Yes. Every dealer on RI Oil Prices is a verified Rhode Island heating oil company with an active business. We display each dealer's authentic Google Business rating and review count so you can evaluate their reputation before ordering.

Since you order directly from the dealer, any issues should be resolved with them directly. We recommend checking Google reviews before ordering and keeping the dealer's contact information handy. If you believe a dealer is misrepresenting their prices on our site, please contact us.

Many dealers offer automatic delivery (also called "will-call" or scheduled delivery) where they monitor your tank and deliver before you run out. These programs often come with discounts or locked-in pricing. Contact dealers directly to ask about their automatic delivery options.

Still have questions?

Can't find what you're looking for? We're here to help.