Gasbuddy.com is an excellent Website that allows consumers to track the price of gas at retail outlets across the nation. The Website shows the pricing trends and the most current prices almost anywhere. For instance, click here to see the prices for the 17512 zip code.

So, how come there’s no comparable Website for heating oil retailers?

Try google and you’ll find a bunch of Websites that masquerade as pricing finders; problem is they’re not.

For example, this site, ezhomeheating.com, shows pricing in and around Columbia ranging from $2.499 to $2.899 a gallon. This one, MidAtlantic Oil, is equally non-specific.

The US Energy Information Website shows the current Pennsylvania average price as $2.487. The Website also has a tracking of prices since 1990 when the price per gallon was $1.266.

“The Energy Information Administration has predicted that between Oct. 1 2014 and March 31, 2015 there would be a price drop for home heating oil of 15%, 27% for propane, 5% for natural gas, and 2% for electric. On the other hand, if the winter happens to be 10% colder than predicted, oil prices will only drop 5%, propane would decrease 15%, natural gas would increase 6%, and electric would increase 2%. Although this is all good news, the cost of oil now is still higher than the last five years averaged together.” – Greater Harrisburg Oil Heat Association

We know that’s not full, nor accurate, disclosure. Just yesterday, we paid less than those numbers and an acquaintance paid a lot less than we did.

There are lots of qualifiers that oil heat retailers will apply. There are considerations for buying “less than” or “more than” volumes; cash discounts; service agreements; delivery area; etc.; etc.

But none of these begs the issue of clear pricing posting. In the digital era we’re in, a Website price can be changed in a matter of minutes.

We like Sauder Fuels’ approach; the current prices are on the Website.

Sauder Fuels service does not include the Columbia area; but Sauder Fuels’ Website tells you that.