Fuel Buyers Group
Coming soon - NYPIRG member discounts on heat pump installation in select parts of the state! Email fbg@nypirg.org to find out more.
NYPIRG’s Fuel Buyers Group brings a collaborative, non-profit perspective to the home energy marketplace — helping consumers to save money while simultaneously helping to improve the environment. The Fuel Buyers Group negotiates with home heating providers using the combined purchasing power of our members to get a lower price. At the same time, your membership and participation in the Fuel Buyers Group contributes to NYPIRG’s advocacy work. In an era of climate change, it’s important to do all we can to reduce the release of greenhouse gases — like those resulting from the burning of oil, gas, and coal. But we all know that’s easier said than done.
Helping You Meet Your Energy Needs Renewably
Reducing your home energy carbon footprint is not always easy to do. For New Yorkers who heat their homes with oil or gas, there may be barriers — like time, cost, or expertise — that make it difficult to switch to another source of power at this time.
The Fuel Buyers Group is here to help: We can help point you in the green direction by offering information on how to reduce your carbon footprint through do-it-yourself approaches, as well as locally-available programs and technologies. We can refer you to trusted local providers who can recommend and install energy efficiency products, and we’ll help you find information on programs and technologies that can help you make the switch to green heating sources. We only work with reputable local energy companies that offer high quality products and services at discounted NYPIRG member prices, and that have courteous and knowledgeable staff members in every department.
At the same time, your participation in FBG helps us push New York State to a greener future by underwriting NYPIRG’s advocacy for stronger solar, wind, geothermal, and energy efficiency programs in the state. Saving New Yorkers Money on Their Energy Bills for Almost 40 Years
The Fuel Buyers Group brings the power of group buying and a non-profit perspective to the home energy marketplace — helping consumers save money while simultaneously working to improve the environment. The Fuel Buyers Group negotiates with home heating providers leveraging the combined purchasing power of our members to get a lower price and ensure quality service. At the same time, membership and participation in the Fuel Buyers Group contributes to NYPIRG’s advocacy work. We can help you save money now. We use collective buying power to lower your energy costs. With thousands of participants statewide and close to 40 years of experience, we negotiate with local energy providers to get our members deeply discounted rates on home heating products and services. Strength in Numbers
New participants make us even stronger. Homeowners are our most typical program participants, but we can work with accounts of any size — from studio apartments to hospitals — and we'd be happy to come speak to your local association or organization about the benefits of participating in the Group.
Current Prices by Service Area
The Fuel Buyers Group is excited to announce a major geographic expansion! Our areas of service now include the Capital District, Central New York, Hudson Valley, Long Island, New York City, North Country, Southern Tier, and Western New York. For specific daily pricing, or to find out what products and services are available where you live, call us at (800) 695-4645 or send an email to fbg@nypirg.org that includes your ZIP code and the fuel you use to heat your home. Thanks and welcome to the Fuel Buyers family!
Products & Services
Home Heating Oil & Kerosene
In the decades that the NYPIRG Fuel Buyers Group has been working in the public interest — we have saved thousands of consumers millions of dollars on their heating bills! The Group contracts only with reputable local oil companies that offer comprehensive service contracts and budget plans as well as convenient automatic deliveries. And the average price per gallon for a Fuel Buyers Group member is 20 — 40 cents below full retail prices! In many areas of the state we also offer capped prices to help protect our members against rising costs. Member prices are tied directly to the wholesale market so they rise and fall automatically — not when the delivery company wants them to — and at the Fuel Buyers Group we track prices independently to make sure you always get the right price. To find more detailed pricing information by region — please click HERE.
Propane
As New Yorkers face numerous, daily threats to their health, safety, and economic wellbeing, the Fuel Buyers Group offers significant cost savings to those who need it most. In areas of the state that lack access to piped natural gas, propane is one of the most widely used heating sources. While it is often cleaner burning than oil or kerosene, it can be significantly more expensive as well. Whether you own your own propane tank or need one from a supplier, the Fuel Buyers group negotiates deeply discounted rates at all usage levels with trusted local suppliers. Participants can save hundreds of dollars a year while at the same time helping to underwrite NYPIRG's important environmental work.
Natural Gas & Electricity
New Yorkers have grown increasingly dependent on natural gas for heat, and we are using more and more electricity every day as our reliance on the devices that power our lives grows. At the same time, the gas and electric marketplace has grown more complicated. With the deregulation of the natural gas and electricity industries, the actual cost of the products has been separated from the cost of its delivery, allowing consumers the opportunity to shop around for a better price. As the market has grown, the number of energy service companies — and often their aggressive sales tactics — have become overwhelming for many consumers. The Fuel Buyers Group helps to alleviate the situation by recommending suppliers with great customer service, fair prices, and a variety of pricing plans to help members save money while working with a company they can trust. Unfortunately, due to recent changes in regulation by the Public Service Commission, we are unable to add new gas and electric accounts at this time. We hope to be able to do so in the near future and encourage you to fill out our online information request form so that we can notify you when this valuable program reopens.How to Join
To join, please complete and return your application to NYPIRG along with the annual, tax-deductible membership contribution of $40 ($20 for senior citizens). Active duty military and members of participating unions are free.
To speed the process, you can call NYPIRG directly to fill out an application via fax or email and charge your contribution to a credit card. If you are already a member of NYPIRG, just complete the application. Also, if you refer a friend to us and they join, your next year’s membership will be waived. For more information on our referral program, please email us at fbg@nypirg.orgOnce NYPIRG receives the application, you will be assigned to a participating local energy company (note: you can only remain with your present company if it is one of the companies with which we contract). Please allow 3 to 5 business days from our receipt of your application for NYPIRG Fuel Buyers Group and the oil company to set up your account. If you need an immediate delivery, please call us at (800) 695-4645 to find out how soon you could receive one. Please contact us by email at fbg@nypirg.org or call us at (800) 695-4645 with any questions about the application process.
Click HERE to fill out our online application.
Or, download a printable application here:
Did You Know?
- If you refer someone to the Fuel Buyers Group and they join — you get the next year’s contribution waived! This offer is unlimited so send us 10 people and get 10 free years. Some energy companies we work with provide further incentives for referrals as well.
- One membership in the Fuel Buyers Group allows you to list as many properties and products as you like, as long as you own them. Want to participate with an oil account in Brooklyn and a propane account in the Hudson Valley? No problem — your tax deductible $40 donation covers it all!
- You can sign up for more than one product for your home. For example, if you’re already a participant in the kerosene program, why not add your cooking propane to the account? It’s still one membership contribution and you can save even more.
- When you participate with a Group provider we will act as your advocate in the rare case any billing or service problems arise with the company we refer you to. We can also help you select a service contract, change your delivery schedule, or set up a budget plan.
Lawmakers, JCOPE Clash in Hearing Over NY’s Ethics Laws (New York NOW, August 25th, 2021)
Gov. Kathy Hochul’s daughter-in-law is top lobbyist at pharma firm that has sought to influence NY lawmakers (CNBC, August 25th, 2021)
During Andrew Cuomo's time in office, delays in signing legislation grew longer (Times Herald Record, August 23rd, 2021)
Officials call talk of Upstate New York losing congressional rep speculative (NNY360, August 18th, 2021)
Upstate New York could lose representation after redistricting (NY1, August 18th, 2021)
Assembly committee members, non-profit want impeachment investigation findings released (CBS 6 Albany, August 15, 2021)
Facing sharp criticism, Heastie now says Cuomo impeachment panel will produce public report (Buffalo News, August 16, 2021)
Halfway there: NYC restores discounted ‘Fair Fares’ funding to only half of pre-pandemic level (amNY, July 15, 2021)
JCOPE critics are not giving up (WXXI News, July 15, 2021)
Blair Horner: New York's Ethics Watchdog Under Scrutiny (WAMC, July 12, 2021)
NY state lawmakers cancel ethics hearing after rule mix-up (New York Post, July 12, 2021)
Legislature passes MTA data measure (Queens Chronicle, June 10, 2021)
Transit riders call on federal government to aid MTA's quest for accessibility (Bronx News 12, June 7, 2021)
Nuclear Subsidies May Be Slowing Transition to Clean Energy, Advocates Say (Truthout, June 6, 2021)
It sure is hard to watch Assembly committee meetings online (City & State, June 4, 2021)
New York emits more building pollution than any other state (Green Biz, June 4, 2021)
Blair Horner discusses Albany politics on The Capitol Connection (WAMC, June 3, 2021)
NY lawmakers pass ban on coal tar as driveway sealant (Olean Times-Herald, June 3, 2021)
City Budget Negotiations and Comptroller Primary Collide (Gotham Gazette, June 2, 2021)
New York officials urged to expand early voting to colleges (Spectrum News, June 1, 2021)
MAJOR VICTORY: Governor Hochul signs the Climate Change Superfund Act into law! This New York action moves the issue to the forefront in the nation to MAKE POLLUTERS PAY.Governor Hochul and key members of the state’s legislative leadership announced an agreement to approve the Climate Change Superfund Act. New York will become the second state in the nation to hold the largest Big Oil companies accountable for costs resulting from the worsening climate catastrophe.
NYPIRG joined elected officials and environmental advocates to rally for the Climate Change Superfund Act in the wake of unprecedented climate catastrophes in New York. Governor Hochul only has until the end of the year to sign legislation that makes polluters, not taxpayers, pay for climate disaster repairs and resilience.
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A coalition of civic organizations released a letter to the State Board of Elections identifying possible failures in state law mandating that colleges with dorms have polling places. The groups urged action to ensure compliance or to strengthen the law.
A coalition of civic, environmental, social justice, and community-based charities joined with small business “redemption centers” to call on Governor Hochul and the state legislative leaders “to urge your attention and immediate action to prevent business closings and job losses by supporting legislation to boost the ‘handling fee’ that provides revenues for redemption centers, which are critical to the success of the state’s Bottle Deposit Law.”
VICTORY! On Monday, June 17, a six-year fight for clean air and public health came to an end when Danskammer Energy withdrew its application to build a new fracked gas plant on the Hudson River in Newburgh, NY.
As a dangerous heat wave grips New York, sending "feels like" temperatures soaring above 100 degrees, community leaders, local officials, and extreme weather survivors are demanding Governor Hochul take immediate action by signing the recently passed Climate Change Superfund Act (S.2129B/A.3351B) into law.
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A coalition supporting improvements to the state’s Bottle Deposit Law today released a listing of over 1,000 local charities that benefit from the law. The coalition argued that these charities offer services for those in need and that modernization of the forty-year-old law would enhance the charities’ services.
A coalition supporting improving the state’s Bottle Deposit Law today released a review of recent redemption center closures. The review, conducted by redemption centers, identified 97 businesses that have closed or appear to be closed. Another 54 redemption centers had disconnected phones and no obvious social media presence. The coalition argued that many of these closures are the direct result of New York's 15 year "freeze" of the handling fee that redemption centers rely on for revenues.
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A coalition of civic groups today called on the New York State Board of Elections to review the state’s polling locations to see if colleges have on-campus polls as required under the law. The letter is in reaction to the results of a survey conducted by NYPIRG.
NYPIRG analyzed 199 colleges (217 campuses, some colleges have multiple campuses) in New York State, of which 147 have dorms located on their premises. This review of the locations of polling places for college students living on-campus identifies a wide gap between those campuses that have dorms and the number that have polling places.
A statewide coalition representing hundreds of community, environmental, labor, and religious groups today applauded state Senate approval of the Climate Change Superfund Act, which requires Big Oil to cover New York's climate damages – not taxpayers. The groups urged swift action in the state Assembly. The majority of Assemblymembers are sponsors of the legislation.
News Release on NYPIRG's Recent Victory Expanding Financial Aid for Low-Income Patients
Environmental, community, and business groups representing 300 New York organizations today held a press conference to urge state lawmakers to include the "Bigger, Better, Bottle Bill" (S.237B/A6353A) as a "must do" priority for the end of session
NYPIRG Statement on Start of Congestion Pricing