Pre-Buy Contracts Bill Signed in N.H.

In the wake of the Fred Fuller Oil Co. disruptions last winter, New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan has signed a pre-buy contract bill that prohibits dealers from marketing such programs to their customers before May 1 (instead of January 1) for the upcoming fuel season.

Hassan issued the following statement after signing the bill, HB 1282: ‘In recent winters, a rising number of New Hampshire residents who have pre-buy oil contracts have found themselves in danger of running out of heating oil and facing an emergency situation. This bipartisan legislation represents an important step toward increasing consumer protection for residents who have pre-buy contracts, and I thank Representative Ford and legislators from both parties for working to address this critical issue.”