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An executive order issued by California Gov. Gavin Newsom bans sales of new fossil-fueled vehicles by 2035. It is no surprise that this executive order emanated from California. Incentives — tax credits and rebates — failed to get the desired results, so the state turns to mandates to impose its will on citizens. Even with $12,000 in state and federal ...

Everyone has competition, and how the competition deals with one another, or conducts themselves “out in the open,” speaks volumes. In early November I was chatting with the gent who delivers fuel to my home in Vermont about the competitive dynamic between local fuel companies. I commented that the fuel industry is relatively small, particularly here in Vermont where we ...

In recent months utility companies, including fuel marketers, have increasingly become targets of carding attacks. In the August 2020 issue of Fuel Oil News, we explored how to identify and protect your business against this type of fraud. Below are the steps you should take if you find yourself a victim. As a refresher, carding is an automated bot used ...

The heating oil industry is in the fight of its life. We are in danger of continuing to lose market share to other energy sources while under threat of being legislated out of business. As an industry we have recognized many of our shortcomings. We know that for our descendants, we want them to live on a cleaner greener planet ...

Convenience fees and surcharges might be right for your business, but do seek expert advice before making a decision, advises Marci Gagnon of Qualpay: Over the past few years, there has been a lot of conversation within the energy industry about charging customers surcharges and convenience fees to reduce the cost of credit card acceptance. As with credit card payments ...

Energy Marketers of America is the new name of the Petroleum Marketers Association of America. Rob Underwood, president of the association, talked with columnist Shane Sweet, who filed this report. The name change is “reflective of the group’s growing portfolio of affordable, efficient, and environmentally friendly liquid fuels and other alternative energy sources that are helping to reduce emissions while ...

What drove the New England Fuel Institute to become the National Energy & Fuels Institute? Former NEFI CEO Shane Sweet talked with current NEFI CEO Sean Cota to find out. Here, Sweet details the twists and turns that led to the Institute’s new name and new mission. SUN TZU IS REPORTED to have said something along the lines of, ‘Don’t ...

When the pandemic first wreaked havoc in the business community, no one could have predicted what it would mean for company profitability and values. Since then we have seen some bumps up and bumps down in value depending on geography and product mix. Marketers in tourist areas such as Orlando, Atlantic City, Las Vegas, Maine and have seen a reduction ...

The American Energy Coalition routinely and continually assesses threats to the heating oil industry and responds to identified threats through its various messaging platforms. Over the last decade or more, the biggest threats have come from natural gas utilities and their efforts to convert oil-heated homes to gas. In the last couple of years, a new threat has emerged: the ...

The teacher and his student are often at odds—no less so in the oil heat industry. Reluctant to forego the need for theoretical background, the teacher is conscious of the student’s impatience to get to the “heart of the matter.” Oftentimes, the fact that oil burns becomes more important than why it burns. Since the development of oil-burning equipment, many ...