Frequently Asked Questions
Questions about CMP | Installation | Heating Oil | Price Protection | Propane
About Our Company
Q: What are your hours?
A: 7 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday.
Q: How many full-time employees do you have?A: We have 52 full-time employees.
Q: Which methods of payment do you accept?
A: Cash, check, all credit cards.
Q: Do you use your own installation specialists or do you hire subcontractors?A: Every member of our installation team is a trained, experienced employee of CMP. We do not hire outside subcontractors. Installation service is only available to CMP customers.
Q: How long does it take to get an estimate on a new heating and/or cooling system?
A: For CMP customers it takes approximately 2-3 days to prepare an estimate and deliver it to you. Once you receive it, please don't hesitate to give us a call--we will be happy to answer any questions you may have. For Shaner-Hoover customers, we only provide fuel deliveries at this time.
Q: Approximately how long does it take you to complete an installation of a heating or cooling system?
A: It takes about 3-5 days to fully install your new system. We take great pride in our installations. All of our technicians are highly trained, and they will install your system with as little disruption to your home as possible. When we are done, we will clean-up thoroughly, and return your home to the condition in which we found it.
Q: Are your prices competitive?
A: Yes. One of the things that allows us to be competitive is our storage capacity. We buy in larger quantities than some fuel dealers, so you save. It's also important to remember that, as a full-service fuel company, our prices may not always be the lowest in our market. But we offer you advantages that fuel discounters don’t—like a dedicated team of highly-trained technicians, some of whom are always on-call for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Q. Do you offer any price discounts?
A: Yes. If you enroll in our SmartPay monthly payment program, you’ll receive a discount of 5¢ per gallon if you pay your bill within 10 days.
Q: Which way are prices likely to go?
A: We wish we could tell you, but we have no idea. There are so many factors that could send prices up or down at any time. Just look at 2008, when many analysts were saying oil could go up to $200 a barrel, but then it dropped to $50 a barrel instead. While prices are lower than last year, two years ago we would have said they were high. In two of the last three years, prices dropped during the heating season, so there’s really no way to predict.
Q: If I choose SmartPay, how do you come up with my monthly payment?
A: We took the number of gallons you used last year, projected prices for the coming season, apply any credit balance you had on your account and divided the total by 12 months.
Q: Which program should I choose? Why should I consider SmartPay Plus?
A: It really depends on your personal situation, and which option makes you feel most comfortable. There’s no one type of program that always works out the best. Many people like SmartPay Plus because it gives them a feeling of certainty and takes the worry out of their winter. It limits how high their fuel price can go, and still allows their price to drop if the market goes down. They get a 5-cent discount on their delivery price. And they're able to spread their bills out over 12 months so they don't get hit with big winter bills anymore.
Q: Do I need to have this protection?
Q: Why do you charge a per-gallon fee instead of a flat fee for the price cap?
A. It’s fairer for our customers. We want to make sure you pay only for the amount of price protection you need, and no more. No local fuel company can legitimately provide this kind of protection on their own. We are charged for the price cap by our suppliers based on how many gallons a customer buys. We don't make any money from this fee. Anyone who says they can provide this protection for "free" is playing games. Either they're not hedging the fuel properly, or they don't lower their price enough when world prices drop. With CMP, we like to play things straight.
Q: How many gallons should I protect with SmartPay Plus?
A: It’s really up to you. Our average customer uses 800 gallons a year, but most people used more than that last year because the winter was colder than normal.
Q: What happens if I use more oil than I protected with the cap?
A: You’ll pay the daily posted price in effect at the time.
Q: Is there a deadline to enroll in SmartPay Plus?
A: No. You can enroll after our due date. However, we can’t guarantee the cap price will be as low as the first cap price we quote you once our limited amount of price-protected oil is gone. And remember, if prices go down instead of up, you’ll pay the lower daily price anyway. So if you do want a cap, it probably makes sense to enroll now.
Q: Is a cap price better than a fixed price?
A: With a fixed price, your rate is locked in and can’t go down if market prices drop. Generally, a price cap works better, even though it costs money, because a cap protects you against rising prices but you also pay a lower price when market prices go down.
Q: Why do you need to charge a fee for a cap?
A: The price our suppliers charge for this "insurance" has increased significantly in recent years. We used to be able to absorb it, but we can’t anymore. Our suppliers charge us a fee, and that’s what we charge you--the same amount our suppliers charge us. We do not make any money on this. The amount of the fee depends on how volatile the market is at the time. We’ve seen prices change 20 cents in one day while oil prices used to swing just 10 to 15 cents in a whole year.
Q. I see that some companies say they have “free” price caps. How can they do this?
A. The fact is, they can’t. What these companies do is build the cost of the cap into their price per gallon. Most of them have several different “posted” prices, one for cap customers and various prices for everyone else—and the cap customers’ price is 20¢ or 30¢ higher. But that’s not all. Last year, when prices dropped, these companies’ prices came down much more slowly than others’ prices, including ours. At one point, their customers were paying 33¢ a gallon more than ours were. We think it’s better to play it straight with you. To offer a true price cap, all fuel companies need to buy a type of price insurance. We let you see the cost of this insurance clearly and up front. Then you can decide if you really want the price cap.
Q. Is propane a safe fuel?
A. Propane has a fantastic safety record, thanks to strict regulations developed by the propane industry in conjunction with the National Fire Protection Association. We provide you with worry-free operation for all of your propane equipment. CMP places a huge emphasis on training and the safe handling of the product. We continually address all the safety aspects of propane, including installation, storage and tank filling.
Q. Why should people buy their propane from CMP?
A. There are a lot of reasons:
First, we take exceptional care of our customers. You will receive the same excellent, responsive service we offer to all of our customers; second, our prices are very competitive; third, we don't charge tank fees; fourth; no minimum delivery required; fifth, our surcharges are very low. All propane dealers are required to collect these charges, but some of our competitors charge five or six times what we charge. If you already buy your heating oil from us, it will make it more convenient to get your heating oil and propane from one source.
And here's one more thing you may want to consider: CMP is your local propane company; our employees are your neighbors, and CMP is very active in the community.
