With the arrival of Spring, lets take a minute to look back over the past heating season and reflect on some of the more positive aspects of Winter. For everyone who purchased a contract (Prebuy or Budget) last summer, there were times this season where the contract price saved some of you over $1.40 per gallon on your heating fuel delivery. I would say planning ahead does pay off....even though purchasing a contract is a gamble...because you really can't predict what the price of heating oil is going to be. It's quite interesting to look back over some of our previous years' Spring Letters. In 2003 we had written "This past season we saw the prices of heating oil skyrocket prior to the war in the Gulf but as we promised, those with prebuys and budgets saw the real benefit of participating." Then on the back page of this very letter we created a chart of the heating season's high and low prices over the past 10 years. The season's averages went from 80 cents per gallon in 1993 to $1.38 per gallon in 2003. We wrote "As you can see from looking back, there is no way to predict. But you can avoid those high prices by securing gallons with a Prebuy or Budget contract. By planning ahead, we can secure gallons for you at a comfortable price."

There are so many factors that play into the price of heating oil. This year the price of a barrel of oil on the stock market reached an all time high, but on the upside to that...the U.S. Inventories of oil are up and well stocked so the prices should be coming down. But not if the value of the dollar continues to decline, and oil stocks are traded on the open market.

We here at Thompson's Oil and Propane, would like to thank you for choosing us for all your heating needs. We feel that a satisfied customer is our most valuable asset. We try to make you happy with our quality products and service. As a Thompson's customer, we give you more than just fuel,with services like automatic delivery, expert tuneups, budget plans, and our pre buy program, you get savings, convenience, reliability, and peace of mind. We also proudly offer the full service oil and propane advantage,which you won't find with discount oil companies. From professional,licensed technicians to 24 hour emergency service,you can rest assured that we'll always be there when you need us. Again "Thank You" to our loyal customers. As always, if you have any questions regarding equipment or fuel, don't hesitate to call or stop in. We're always glad to help.