Your local oil companies work off fairly small margins, especially after taxes, insurance, transportation and truck repairs. The average Rhode Island local oil company operates on a net margin of 25 to 30 cents a gallon. The average residential customer in Rhode Island burns approximately 600 gallons of heating oil. So most companies are making all said and done $150 a customer (total over 2-3 deliveries possibly more)to deliver oil to your home in the rain,sleet, and snow. I used to be in the industry and the average homeowner doesn’t get their oil heating system cleaned and maintained on a yearly basis. By not doing so you’re costing yourself a 1/4 to half tank of oil sometimes more if you go longer than two years. And that’s with the higher ul standard oil you’re receiving, years ago it was more like a full tank of oil due to the higher soot content during combustion.