Property managers carry fuel responsibility for buildings they often did not design, with equipment they did not choose, and tenants who call immediately when heat goes out. The fuel side of property management is not complicated, but it has enough moving parts – accounts, schedules, compliance, budgets – that it rewards having a documented approach. This playbook covers the essentials.
The three things to get right
- Account structure: Who is the account holder, and does it match the responsible party at each property?
- Scheduling: Is delivery triggered by monitoring, degree-day calculation, or manual call-in – and does the method match the property’s risk tolerance?
- Emergency coverage: When the heat goes out at midnight in January, who calls who?
Account structure
Multi-property portfolios benefit from a master account with sub-accounts per property. This simplifies billing reconciliation, allows consolidated reporting, and keeps emergency contacts organized by location. Confirm with your supplier that the billing contact, the delivery site contact, and the emergency after-hours contact can all be set independently per property.
Account transitions – when a property changes management companies or ownership – are a common point of service disruption. Initiate the transition with the fuel supplier at least 30 days in advance, not after closing.
Scheduling
The three main scheduling methods are: automatic delivery (supplier-managed, degree-day or K-factor based), will-call (customer initiates each delivery), and monitored automatic (tank monitor triggers delivery when level drops to a set threshold).
Automatic delivery works well for consistent-use properties with predictable occupancy. Will-call shifts the risk of runout to the property manager – acceptable only with a reliable internal process for checking levels and placing orders. Monitored automatic is the most reliable for critical properties and eliminates the human step from the reorder process.
Emergency coverage
Document the after-hours escalation path for every property: property-level contact, then property management company contact, then fuel supplier emergency line. Post the fuel supplier’s after-hours number at each mechanical room. Update it whenever staff turns over.
Compliance
Above-ground storage tanks (ASTs) carry state and local compliance requirements that vary by tank size and location. In Pennsylvania, tanks above certain thresholds fall under DEP regulations. Keep a current file for each property that includes: tank registration (if required), last inspection date, spill containment documentation, and delivery records for the prior 12 months.
Budgeting and reporting
Property-level fuel budgets should be built on normalized consumption (gallons per heating degree day) rather than prior-year actuals. Request year-end delivery summaries from your fuel supplier in a format that breaks out gallons, price paid, and delivery dates by property. This feeds directly into the following year’s budget process and satisfies owner reporting requirements.
Common mistakes
- Listing a former employee as the emergency contact
- Running will-call on a critical property without a defined check-and-order process
- Missing account transitions during ownership or management changes
- No documentation of tank size or fuel type at acquisition
- Assuming the prior manager’s supplier relationship transfers without confirmation
Onboarding a new fuel supplier
When switching suppliers, give the new supplier a complete property list with addresses, tank sizes, fuel types, access instructions, and emergency contacts before the first delivery. Walk them through any access complications – gates, limited hours, specific fill port locations – before a driver learns about them at 6 AM during a cold snap. A 30-minute onboarding conversation prevents the majority of first-delivery problems.
Questions about fuel delivery for your facility?
Call (215) 659-1616 or get a quote online. Fox Fuel serves commercial accounts across Pennsylvania and New Jersey from our Willow Grove location – family-owned since 1981.