New Safeguards for Heating Oil Customers Passed By Legislature

HARTFORD ‘ Legislation to offer additional protections for customers left in the lurch when their heating oil suppliers go bankrupt or close won final General Assembly approval Thursday, reports the Courant.

In recent years, hundreds of Connecticut homeowners have had to scramble to find new sources of heating oil as a result of unexpected business failures by their regular suppliers. Last October, Ace Oil Co. of Meriden filed for bankruptcy, unable to supply fuel to hundreds of customers who had pre-paid for winter oil deliveries.

Homeowners in Meriden, Southington, Wallingford, Durham, Middletown, Middlefield and several other communities found themselves left without a heating oil supplier.

The bill passed by the House Thursday on a 137-0 vote sets up new safeguards for consumers, including a requirement that any company offering pre-paid fuel plans provide documentation of how deliveries will be guaranteed in case the company closes.

Read on at The Courant website.