10/25/07 Oregon Heating Bills

Oregon Heating Bills. I'm Greg Martin with today's Line On Agriculture. For many residents, winter heating bills continue to go through the roof, all the more reason for Oregon consumers to get exactly what they are paying for this year. For some customers of home heating oil and propane, the winter fuel bill may be up as much as fifty percent this year. The Measurement Standards Division inspectors with the Oregon Department of Agriculture are taking notice. COONEY: As the cost of the fuel goes up, it becomes more and more critical that the customer is getting what they are paying for. ODA's Clark Cooney says consumers should be aware of such things as how much product they are getting when the fuel delivery truck pulls up and how much it is going to cost, so there are no surprises. COONEY: It's always a good idea if the customer can be present, to be there, to watch the delivery, to see that the register on the meter itself started at zero. They can observe how man gallons were actually delivered. It's just so you in know in your heart how much actually was pumped into your tank at home. ODA enforces Oregon's weights and measures laws requiring accurate representations of quantity in commercial transactions. Inspectors investigate complaints made by the buyer when it comes to any type of fuel delivery. The meters used to correctly dispense fuel must be inspected and certified by ODA before use. The best advice for buying heating fuel is also the best advice for any type of purchase take an interest in the transaction. Cooney says fuel prices are changing all the time, and that consumers should agree with the fuel company on what they are going to pay at delivery: COONEY: One of the things people need to make sure is that they've got the price of the fuel settled with the business they are dealing with prior to placing the order and that price is actually delivered to their home. Then, to make sure that is what they are going to pay when the delivery is made. Cooney says high winter heating bills this year is prompting closer attention by the consumer when it comes to winter fuel delivery. COONEY: The prices of heating oil, and propane for that matter, are increasing just due to the cost of petroleum products. This makes it all that much more important that consumers be aware of how much product they are getting, that they know what they are buying what they are going to be paying before they order the product, and just basically being an informed consumer. That's today's Line On Agriculture. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.