Company says its dealing with highest demand in its history
HUDSON, N.H. —New Hampshire’s largest independent oil company said the cold is contributing to a perfect storm of problems.
Fred Fuller Oil and Propane, headquartered in Hudson, said it’s experiencing the highest demand in the company’s history because of the weather.
The company also said it’s trying to fix a phone outage and deal with supplier issues, all leading to customers concerned that they’ll be left out in the cold.
Oil delivery trucks were moving in and out of Fred Fuller Oil in Hudson Friday night.
The company said additional drivers are working late hours to meet historic demand and will make deliveries all weekend.
A Fred Fuller representative said a company-wide phone outage this week is complicating the problem with customers unable to get through so they have to stop by in person.
A message apologizing is posted on the business website.
One customer drove to the Hudson office Friday night concerned his heating oil was low, and a delivery truck followed him back to his home.
Another customer, Fran King-Savary, of Derry, said her family was promised a delivery that hadn’t come yet. She was concerned her father would run out of heating oil.
“I have just under half a tank, and I have pre-buy with them, but they’re not picking up their phone, and they’re not responding. It’s very frustrating. It makes you wonder what’s going on,” King-Savary said.
A representative from Fred Fuller Oil did not want to appear on camera but said everyone will get oil, and if a customer runs out, an emergency delivery will be made day or night.
The company has thousands of customers from southern New Hampshire to north of the Lakes Region.
The Attorney General’s Office confirmed it had received some complaints and said, on top of high demand and phone problems, the company had issues with deliveries from suppliers. It said the business is behind on deliveries and working to catch up.
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