Question 1

Are you a family owned and operated business?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Started by Joe Walsh in 1981, J.M.Walsh Oil Company has been family owned and operated for 40 years.

Question 2

Where are you located?

Accepted Answer

Our office is located at 6 Cleveland Place, Gloucester, Massachusetts.

Question 3

Where is your delivery / service area?

Accepted Answer

Our fuel delivery/ service areas are Gloucester, Rockport, Essex, and Manchester-by-the-Sea. That being said, we do deliver in Beverly, Hamilton and Wenham for automatic deliveries only- no will call.

Question 4

Where are your Service Areas?

Accepted Answer

Our service areas are Gloucester, Rockport, Essex, and Manchester-by-the-Sea. That being said, we do deliver in Beverly, Hamilton and Wenham for automatic deliveries only - no will call.

Question 5

What does a Full Service company do?

Accepted Answer

Industry surveys have shown that 85% of heating oil customers in America prefer to do business with a full service oil company because it means:

- 24-hour emergency service
- trained, certified technicians
- monthly payment plans and service plans for protection against large, unexpected bills.
- automatic deliveries to reduce run-outs
- credit terms on fuel bills
- sufficient liability insurance coverage in the unlikely event of property damage
- fully stocked service vehicles so most problems can be fixed on the spot

Question 6

Why are credit applications required if I want to pay by credit card?

Accepted Answer

All new customers are required to fill out a credit application. This is because fuel deliveries and service are not considered "Point of Sale" transactions where a customer has to pay before receiving the merchandise. In our case, customers are receiving products or service in advance. Having all new customers fill out a credit application helps us as a business guarantee payment. Thank you for understanding!

Question 7

Do you offer Budget Plans?

Accepted Answer

Yes. To learn more about the terms of our budget plans, please give our office a call at (978) 283-4815 or (978) 546-6018.

Question 8

How much does a cooling system cost?

Accepted Answer

Cooling systems will be unique to your home. Contact our office to learn more.

Question 9

What happens if I have an emergency after business hours?

Accepted Answer

If you are a regular customer of ours and run into an issue after business hours, our live answering service takes your call and relays the information back to our team. 
 
A service charge may apply to deliveries outside of normal business hours. This includes run-outs due to non-payment and failure of automatic delivery customers to notify company of a change in usage.

Question 10

I've found cheaper fuel but they don't offer any services. Why is that?

Accepted Answer

About two-thirds of what a customer pays covers the cost of the fuel itself. The rest goes toward services, which are not offered by all companies. This is why oil-only companies can charge a lower price.

Question 11

What is a degree day and why is it important?

Accepted Answer

It's any day during which the average temperature falls below 65.  The number of degrees difference between 65 and the average temperature (for example:  45)  are called DEGREE DAY UNITS.  (In this case 65 minus 45 = 20.)

Each day add the high and low temperatures together and divide by two - this will give you the MEAN temperature.  Subtract this mean from the base figure of 65 and you will have the daily degree days.  These degree days reflect fuel consumption, and for scheduling purposes are accumulated by the season, usually starting September 1st and are added to a cumulative YTD total.

Question 12

Do I stll have to check my tank now that I'm a customer?

Accepted Answer

Yes, absolutely. We make a reasonable effort to initially and periodically visually inspect accessible above ground oil tanks. Visual inspections assess the condition of the tank at the time of inspection and do not predict the tank’s condition in the future. Since tank conditions may change, as the owner with ongoing access, it is the Customer’s responsibility to monitor the tank for wear and tear and/or leaks and notify us immediately.

Question 13

I will have a credit card on file, do I still need to fill out a credit application?"

Accepted Answer

Yes. All new customers are required to fill out a credit application regardless of payment method.

Celebrating 40 Years In Business!

Frequently asked questions