Prospect Oil Group[

In January of 2007 three friends in Prospect CT, Jim, Joe and Ron, were having a beverage and lamenting the then huge increases in home heating oil. We decided to create a list of friends and families in town that had the same concerns. With strength in numbers we were sure we could bring the price down.

Purely a volunteer effort, the group relied on e-mail as the primary means of communication. Oil distributors could benefit from customer retention, new customers, neighborhood consolidated deliveries and a direct marketing list. Our goal - to negotiate a special group price below the market price; the actual contract is between the individual participant and the oil distributor.

With this confidential list of 25 participants representing 20,000 gallons of oil Joe contacted the local oil distributors, including current providers. The goal was to secure a group purchase price on fuel oil and services.

What a success! When the market rate for prepay heating oil was averaging $2.79 per gallon, the Prospect Oil Group secured special group pricing of $2.29 per gallon / prepaid or $2.34 per gallon for a monthly budget plan. The winning distributor also discounted their burner service plan by $75.00.

For the 2008 / 2009 heating season we’re doing the same thing and to date we have a list of more than 120 local friends and families representing over 100,000 gallons of oil! We’ll continue to add names to the list until June 1, 2008. Because we get nothing for making this work we are only accepting participants from Prospect CT and bordering towns. Join the list there is no obligation!