Automatic Delivery means nobody at your house has to watch a gauge or remember to call in January. We work out when you are due from what you have actually burned, and we come before you get low.
What we are actually doing
Every delivery we make to you is a data point: how many gallons went in, and how cold it had been since the last one. Put a few of those together and your house has a burn rate, measured in gallons per degree of cold rather than per day. From there we can see when your tank will reach the level we want to refill at, and we put you on a route before it gets there.
The estimate improves the longer you are with us, because it is built from your own history rather than an average for your zip code. Our guide to home heating oil sets the whole arrangement in context if you are new to oil heat.
Automatic Delivery against will-call
| Automatic Delivery | Will-call | |
|---|---|---|
| Who watches the tank | We do | You do |
| Who decides timing | We schedule from your usage | You phone when you are low |
| Risk of running out | Low, the point of the service | Rests on remembering in the coldest weeks |
| Delivery windows | Planned onto a route | Depends what notice you give |
| Suits | Most households | People who want to control every fill |
Will-call is a real choice and some customers prefer it. It asks you to check the gauge through the part of the year when the house is burning fastest, and to give us a few days rather than calling on the morning you hit empty.
What we need from you
- A clear route to the fill pipe, kept clear of cars, bins and anything the hose has to be dragged around.
- A gate left unlocked on delivery day, and a dog indoors.
- A note of anything that has changed, a new tank, a different cap, a new fence, so the driver is not working it out in the dark.
- A call from you if the house will be empty for a long stretch, because an empty house burns differently and the estimate is built on habit.
When the estimate needs help
Automatic Delivery reads the past to predict the future, so anything that breaks the pattern is worth a phone call. A new woodstove running most evenings, a wing of the house closed off, a family member home all day who used to be out, or a long trip away will all move your usage away from the history we are working from.
Tell us and we adjust. It costs you one call and it is a great deal cheaper than the alternative, which is running out on a cold night.
Frequently asked questions
Does Automatic Delivery cost more?
No. It is how we schedule your deliveries, not a product with its own price. You pay for the gallons that go into the tank.
Can I still ask for a delivery if I want one?
Yes. Call us any time and we will come. Automatic Delivery sets the baseline, it does not lock the door.
What if I think the schedule is wrong?
Tell us the gauge reading and the date. If your usage has moved we would far rather hear it from you than discover it on the next run.
Can I combine it with Level Pay?
Yes, and most people do. Automatic Delivery handles when the truck comes and Level Pay evens out what you pay each month.
If you are on will-call now and winter has stopped being fun, moving to Automatic Delivery takes one phone call and your delivery history comes with you.
Background reading from the US Energy Information Administration: the winter fuels outlook.
Heating oil delivery across Southern Virginia and North Carolina
If you want a delivery schedule matched to how your household actually burns fuel, that is a short conversation. The phones are answered around the clock, and there is an office within reach of most of southern Virginia and northern North Carolina.
Davenport Energy120 S. Main Street, Chatham, VA 24531
(434) 432-0251