Every propane and heating-oil customer falls into one of two service models: automatic delivery, where the supplier predicts your usage and schedules refills before you run out, and will-call delivery, where you read your gauge and call the supplier when you need a fill. Most homes default to automatic without thinking about it; depending on your situation, will-call may be the better fit.
The mechanics
Here is how the two models stack up, feature by feature:
| Feature | Automatic delivery | Will-call delivery |
|---|---|---|
| Who tracks the tank | Supplier — degree-day model or tank monitor | You |
| Order frequency | Set by supplier | Set by you |
| Lead time | Built into the model | 2–5 business days typical |
| Per-gallon rate | Sometimes a small premium | Sometimes a small discount |
| No-runout guarantee | Usually yes (with fine print) | No |
| Best for | Heating-load primary fuel | Predictable secondary loads |
| Worst for | Customers who want to shop dealers | Customers traveling for winter |
Auto-delivery suppliers predict your usage one of two ways, and many use both. The traditional method is a heating degree day (HDD) model: the supplier multiplies your historical gallons-per-HDD ratio by the weather to estimate when your tank will hit the reorder threshold (typically 25–30% of capacity). The newer method is a wireless tank monitor, a small sensor on the tank gauge that reports the actual fill level to the supplier over cellular or Wi-Fi. A monitor swaps the estimate for a real reading, so the supplier can route trucks on measured level instead of a forecast, which all but eliminates surprise runouts. Plenty of dealers run both: the model plans the routes, and the monitor catches the homes the model would have missed. Either way, the truck shows up before you'd notice you were low; you don't watch the gauge.
Will-call puts you in charge. You read the percent-full gauge on the tank, decide when to order, and call (or use the supplier's portal) to schedule the fill. There's no model behind it — it's your eyes on the tank.
Trade-offs
Auto-delivery wins when:
- The fuel runs your central heat and a runout is a serious problem (frozen pipes, restart fee, comfort cost).
- You travel and won't be checking the gauge for stretches at a time.
- You don't want to think about it.
- Your supplier's auto-delivery rate is competitive with their will-call rate.
Will-call wins when:
- The load is light or seasonal — fireplaces, ranges, summer-only use.
- You're price-sensitive and willing to actively shop deliveries among multiple suppliers (which auto-delivery makes mechanically hard, since you only get one supplier per tank).
- You own the tank and want maximum flexibility on who fills it.
- You're disciplined about reading the gauge weekly during heating season.
The no-runout guarantee, in practice
Most auto-delivery agreements include a no-runout guarantee: if the supplier's model misses and you run out, the supplier eats any restart costs (typically a leak test on the lines, a furnace bleed and restart, and any service fee). The leak-test step isn't a courtesy. NFPA 58 requires a leak check before a propane system is put back into service after an interruption such as a run-out:
“Immediately after the gas is turned on into a new system or into a system that has been initially restored after an interruption of service, the piping system shall be checked for leakage. Where leakage is indicated, the gas supply shall be shut off until the necessary repairs have been made.”
NFPA 58 / NFPA 54, NFPA 58 §6.17 (Leak Check for Vapor Systems); leak-check method per NFPA 54 §8.2.3 (2024 ed.). View source
This is the main reason most central-heating customers stay on auto-delivery.
The guarantee usually has fine print:
- Doesn't apply if your usage changed materially without notifying the supplier (added a new appliance, increased setpoint by several degrees, started a workshop).
- Doesn't apply if winter cold exceeded normal degree days by a wide margin and you were already below threshold.
- Doesn't apply if you missed a delivery the supplier scheduled.
Read your agreement. The guarantee is real but isn't unconditional.
Switching
Either direction is usually a no-fee phone call to your supplier:
- To auto-delivery: share at least one full year of historical usage so the supplier can model your reorder point. New customers without history start on a conservative estimate and tighten over the first heating season.
- To will-call: ask about the supplier's will-call delivery minimum (most won't pull a truck for fewer than 100–150 gallons) and the typical lead time. Plan to read the gauge weekly during heating season.
If you're shopping suppliers, the directory lets you find dealers in your ZIP and request quotes — search by ZIP for local options.
Find dealers in your ZIP
Enter your ZIP to see if a local fuel dealer in our directory serves your area.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between automatic and will-call delivery?
- Automatic delivery means the fuel supplier tracks your tank level (using historical usage and weather degree-day data, and increasingly a wireless tank monitor that reports the actual fill level) and schedules deliveries to keep you above a reorder threshold — typically 25–30% of tank capacity. Will-call delivery means you watch the tank gauge yourself and call the supplier when you need a refill. Most fuel dealers offer both options, sometimes at slightly different per-gallon rates.
- Is automatic delivery more expensive than will-call?
- It can be, but not always. Auto-delivery customers sometimes pay a small per-gallon premium for the predictability and the no-runout guarantee. On the other hand, auto-delivery routes are easier for the supplier to plan, which can mean lower per-gallon rates than emergency or expedited will-call deliveries. Compare your supplier's rate sheets directly — there is no universal rule.
- Do I need a tank monitor for automatic delivery?
- No. Automatic delivery works off a degree-day usage model and needs no hardware. But many suppliers now offer a wireless tank monitor — a small sensor on the gauge that reports your actual fill level over cellular or Wi-Fi — and some include one with an auto-delivery agreement. A monitor swaps the supplier's estimate for a real reading, which reduces the chance of a surprise runout and lets the supplier route trucks more efficiently. Monitors help will-call customers too: instead of eyeballing the gauge, you get a low-level alert on your phone.
- What happens if I run out on automatic delivery?
- Most auto-delivery agreements include a no-runout guarantee: if you run out because the supplier missed a fill, the supplier covers any restart costs (the line pressure-test, system bleed, and restart fee). The guarantee almost always has fine print — usage spikes the supplier could not have predicted, change in occupancy, change in setpoint — that void it. Read the agreement before relying on it.
- When should I prefer will-call?
- Will-call makes sense for predictable, easy-to-monitor loads with low-stakes runouts: fireplaces, ranges, water heaters, secondary tanks, summer-only use. It also makes sense if you actively shop deliveries among multiple suppliers — you can't do that on a single-supplier auto-delivery agreement. The trade-off is that will-call customers carry the responsibility for not running out, including reading the gauge weekly during heating season.
- How do I switch from automatic to will-call (or vice versa)?
- Call your fuel supplier and ask. Either direction is usually a no-fee change. If you switch to automatic, expect to share usage history with the supplier so they can model your reorder point. If you switch to will-call, ask about the will-call delivery minimum (most suppliers won't bring a truck for fewer than 100–150 gallons) and the lead time on a will-call refill (typically 2–5 business days, longer in deep winter).