Frequently Asked Questions

You can order online at mercerfuels.com/orderonline. You can also call 902-539-4242 to speak with a member of our team and place your order.

The minimum order is $250.

Automatic delivery is a convenient way to plan home heating. Our driver fills your oil tank periodically, so you have less to keep track of. You can still check your tank or contact us when you need to. Sign up for automatic delivery

This plan can help spread heating costs through the year instead of leaving one larger winter bill. Equal payment budget plans start annually in September. Mercer Fuels estimates your fuel costs for the year and divides them into 10 equal monthly payments. Your credit card or bank account on file is charged from September to June. If there is a balance owing after the 10 months, we will contact you to make arrangements. If there is a credit, we can apply it to the next year's plan. Sign up for an equal payment budget plan

A standard sized oil tank is 910 Liters. Depending on the price per liter, you can calculate the cost.

The price of oil changes frequently. If you want to know today's price, give us a call at 902-539-4242 or email contact@mercerfuels.com

Yes. People aged 60 and over receive 7 cents per litre off the posted heating-oil price. Call 902-539-4242 to ask our team about the seniors' discount.

You can pay with a credit card online at mercerfuels.com/billpayment. You can send an e-transfer to payments@mercerfuels.com (Please include your address in the memo). You can pay with online banking by adding Mercer Fuels Ltd. as a Payee and use your 4 digit account number. Finally, you can give cash to the delivery driver or visit our Sydney office at 64 Brookland St or the Glace Bay payment center at Petro Canada, 195 Reserve St (open daily, 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM).

Your account number is a number between 1 and 99999. The number appears on your delivery invoices and statements. For online banking payments, please use a 4 or 5 digit number i.e. if your account number is 27 or 27-1, use 0027. Do not include the number after the hyphen.

Every home is different, so there is no straightforward answer. Many households order oil at least once per month from October-April. If your hot water is heated by your furnace, you may also need oil in the spring and summer. A convenient option is to sign up for automatic delivery, so there is less to remember.

Read the tank gauge guide and approximate litre reference.

When route and weather conditions allow, we may be able to arrange same-day emergency heating oil. Call 902-539-4242 to ask about the current schedule.

Before calling us, first check if you have oil. Secondly, make sure that the "Emergency Switch" (red lightswitch) was not switched off. If it is off, switch it on and see whether your furnace starts. Thirdly, you can press the red reset button on your furnace once. If none of these steps fixes your problem, call us at 902-539-4242 and we'll help you decide what to do next.

You can hire an insured technician to bleed your furnace by calling 902-539-4242. If you are considering doing it yourself, use care and follow equipment-specific guidance.

Furnace Insurance is one option for planning furnace care and unexpected expenses. An annual furnace cleaning and inspection is included, and the plan covers more than 20 furnace components. Ask our team about current coverage and terms. Sign up for Furnace Insurance

We recommend cleaning your furnace annually. Regular maintenance can help keep your system running well and may help manage oil use over time.

An insured technician cleans the nozzle, changes the filter, and checks your furnace for potential problems.

Depending on the type of filter required, the price ranges from $140-$160.

The steel oil tanks that Mercer Fuels installs come with a 25 year warranty. However, every insurance company has different requirements. Most insurance companies will not cover a tank for more than 15 years. We recommend calling your home insurance company to confirm how long they will cover you for.

Yes. We arrange installation of new furnaces, hot water heaters, and other oil-heat components. Payment plans of 2-5 years may be available; contact us to discuss the installation.

We hire local companies like Otto Strong Burner Service, Hickey and Lynk Oil Burner Service and more.

Fiberglass oil tanks generally cost more than steel tanks. If your insurance company covers a fiberglass tank for additional years, it may be worth comparing the long-term costs with your installer and insurer.

Ask how many years your insurer will allow you to keep a steel tank versus a fiberglass tank before requiring replacement, how those years are counted, and what conditions apply. Get the requirements for both tank types in writing before comparing your options.

Yes. Insurers typically require tank replacement before the tank's warranty expires. A warranty is not a guarantee of insurance coverage or tank lifespan. Get your own insurer's replacement requirements and policy conditions in writing.

Yes. Ask other insurers what replacement requirements they offer for steel and fiberglass tanks, and get their answers in writing. Use those offers to negotiate at renewal. Compare the full policy terms, not just the tank replacement requirement; a better offer is not guaranteed.

Get comparable steel and fiberglass quotes for your installation, including what each covers and the total payable if financed. Compare the price difference with any additional years your chosen insurer allows you to keep the fiberglass tank before replacement. Use that comparison to decide whether the extra cost makes economic sense for you. Do not assume fiberglass guarantees extra years, coverage or savings.

Mercer Fuels estimates about 3 litres of oil per day for a 1-2 person household using oil to heat water for showers, laundry and other everyday needs. For each additional person beyond two, add about 0.75 litres per day on average. Actual use varies with hot-water habits and equipment. This is a planning estimate, not a guaranteed consumption rate or a way to determine how long the oil in your tank will last.

Read the summer hot-water guide and household estimates.

You're standing in front of your water heater. How do you tell if it's an electric or oil fired model? Start by looking for an access panel on the side of the water heater. If you remove it and see a blue flame, that's a pilot light, which only oil fired models have. Connected pipes are also indicators of oil, while an electric water heater will simply have a cord going into the top or side of the unit.

Yes. Todd Mercer is a third-generation owner based in Sydney River. Mercer Fuels staff are from communities including Sydney, Glace Bay, Coxheath, Reserve Mines, Whitney Pier, Dominion, Framboise, Bras D'Or, and Birch Grove.

Our main office is at 64 Brookland St. in Sydney, across from Hashem's Scrapyard. Our Glace Bay payment center is at Petro Canada, 195 Reserve St, open daily from 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM.

Our office is closed on weekends, but we offer weekend emergency deliveries during the winter months. Our phone lines are open 24/7. You can call 902-539-4242 to ask about current emergency delivery availability with our local staff or answering service.

Our phone lines are open 24/7. During business hours our local office staff answer the phones. After hours, a locally based answering service takes calls. We aim to connect you with someone who can help.

We give away a TV during each contest month from November to March. If you receive oil from Mercer Fuels in a contest month (including automatic delivery), you are automatically entered in the draw; see the current contest details for terms.

We do! Feel free to call us at 902-539-4242 if you need help with your application.

Text message reminders can make routine heating tasks easier to remember. During the winter months, we can text you every 2 or 3 weeks to remind you to check your oil tank gauge and order oil if needed. We can also send an annual reminder to book a furnace cleaning. Sign up for Mercer Fuels Text Message Reminders