What happened in Massachusetts
A week ago we opened a heating oil price board for Massachusetts: one page, every oil delivery company in the commonwealth.
We hoped it would help a few homeowners to help figure out the best way to heat their homes, and that a few hundred people might use it. Instead, the board has been used 4,100+ times in its first week. We noticed some readers in Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire and Maine kept showing up to look at Massachusetts prices, which we took as a hint.
So today the board covers all six New England states. New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont, Connecticut and Rhode Island now each have their own board.
The first week in numbers (October 8 to 15)
- The Massachusetts board was opened 4,100+ times.
- The busiest day was Sunday, October 12: 967 times someone scrolled through the boards.
- People clicked the 200-gallon pricing the most, followed by 100.
- Users picked the North Shore the most, followed closely by Central Massachusetts.
Where readers were
Boston led, then Worcester, Springfield, Brockton, Lowell, Leominster and Lawrence. That reads like a heating oil map more than a Boston map: the Pioneer Valley, the Merrimack Valley and North Central Massachusetts all landed near the top.
Beyond Massachusetts, close to one reader in ten was in another New England state: 3.5 percent in Rhode Island, 2.9 percent in Connecticut, 2 percent in New Hampshire and 0.7 percent in Maine, all opening a Massachusetts board before any board existed for their own state. They were after the same thing. Now it exists.
Today's prices, state by state
Today's average of each company's lowest posted price per gallon:
- Connecticut $5.68
- Maine $5.72
- Rhode Island $5.73
- Massachusetts $5.75
- New Hampshire $5.78
- Vermont $5.88
How it works
The board works the same way in every state:
- Shows today's price. Most dealers post a price that depends on how many gallons you buy, so we show each company's price at 100, 150, 200 and 275 gallons. Prices are refreshed daily.
- Says "not available" when we couldn't find one. Some companies only quote by phone or once you start an order. They sit at the bottom of the board with a phone number and a link if you need more options.
- Shows you the company. Every company on the board has a Tavlee profile: what customers have said, the highlights, and whether a neighbor vouched for them on Reddit, Nextdoor or somewhere else.
What's next
Vermont currently only has 6 of its 61 companies display a price, and we'll be working diligently to increase the options for homeowners there. Connecticut has more companies than any other state and the most without a price, so expect that board to fill in over the coming weeks as well.
To everyone who used the Massachusetts board this week, thank you. If you run an oil delivery company and your price is wrong or missing, claim your profile and tell us. If a price on the board looks off, tell us too. Getting it right is the whole point.
Prices change every day. Check today's board before every delivery.
