FAQs

WHAT IS A DEGREE DAY?

A Degree Day is simply a unit for measuring how cold (or hot) it has been over a 24 hour period. Whenever the average (or mean) temperature is below 65°, you have a Degree Day. For example, if during a 24 hour period the high outdoor temperature was 70 degrees and the low was 50 degrees, then the average temperature for that day was 60 degrees - halfway between 70 and 50 degrees. This is 5 degrees less than the base temperature of 65°. Therefore, we can say that there were 5 degree days for the period.

HOW DO I FIGURE OUT THE DAILY DEGREE DAYS?

Each day add the high and the low temperatures together and divide by two - this will give you the MEAN temperature. Subtract the mean temperature from the base figure of 65° and you have the daily degree days. You can use either our Digitherm Thermometer to find out the high and low temperatures, or you can use a weather radio, a local newspaper, or go to our weather links page.

HOW DO I COMPENSATE FOR HOT WATER?

You can use the Degree Day System year round by using the table below to adjust for Hot Water Installations. When the MEAN temperature is:

62° and above add 6 Degree Days • 54° to 57° add 4 Degree Days • 46° to 49° add 2 Degree Days

58° to 61° add 5 Degree Days • 50° to 53° add 3 Degree Days • 43° to 45° add 1 Degree Day

WHAT IS A K-FACTOR?

It is simply a number showing how fast a customer uses fuel. Like miles-per-gallon, think of a k-factor as gallons per degree day.

WHAT ARE USABLE DEGREE DAYS?

Tells you how many degree days you can allow to elapse before making the next delivery.

WHAT IS THE RESERVE?

Since an oil tank cannot be allowed to run out, a safety reserve is set up. Suggested reserves are:

275 tank - 75 gallons 1,000 tank - 250 gallons

550 tank - 150 gallons 1,500 tank - 300 gallons

WHAT IS THE DEGREE DAY NEXT DELIVERY?

The number of projected degree days at which a customer will need fuel.

HOW DO YOU CALCULATE THE K-FACTOR?

Determine the K-Factor by dividing the number of degree days between deliveries by the gallons of fuel used between those deliveries. For example your customer has a 275 gallon tank

EXAMPLE: (STEP A) 1390 minus 942 = 448 Degree Days between deliveries.

(STEP B) 448 Degree Days ÷ 200* gallons = 2.24 K-Factor

*275 gallon tank – reserve of 75 gals.

WHAT DO FIGURE OUT “USABLE DEGREE DAYS” IN A TANK?

Now multiply the number of gallons desired for your next delivery by the K-Factor to give you how many degree days can elapse before making the next delivery.

EXAMPLE: 275 Gallons (tank capacity) minus reserve of 75 gals. = 200 gals.

this is 200 gals. of usable fuel in the tank.

200 (gals. usable fuel) x 2.24 (K-Factor) = 448 usable degree days

HOW DO I FIGURE OUT WHEN THE NEXT DELIVERY IS DUE ?

Add “D.D. of Usable Fuel” to the accumulated degree days recorded on the day of delivery. This number is the Degree Day Next Delivery

EXAMPLE: 448 (Degree Day Usable Fuel) + 1390 (Total D.D. Heat & Hot Water on day of delivery) =

1838 Degree Days Next Delivery. This means that when the accumulated degree days in your log reach 1838, schedule this customer for oil.

HOW LONG WILL MY ORDER TAKE?

Our standard delivery on personalized items is 15 business days. Stock items are shipped in 24 hrs.

Did you know . . . 86% of orders ship in 10 days!!

If you need it sooner we do offer RUSH services . . .

24 hr., 48 hr., & 72 hr. service is available on phone orders only! Must be exact repeats.

HOW COME RUSH ORDERS ARE ONLY ON EXACT REPEATS?

It takes 5 days for the printing plates to cure to a point where we can get the best quality imprint.

Any sooner, and your job won’t look as good as we want it to. If we have to make new plates, the

absolute earliest we can print is 6 days.

CAN I SEE IT BEFORE YOU PRINT IT?

Absolutely! We furnish proofs at NO EXTRA CHARGE upon request.

PDF proofs look the best, so give us your email address and we’ll send the proof there.

WILL ASKING FOR A PROOF DELAY MY ORDER?

NO!! We will still ship you order within our standard delivery.

HOWEVER, you must either approve or send us corrections in a timely manner.

DO WE ACCEPT CREDIT CARDS?

Yes, we accept the following:

but for now, we don’t process payments through the web-site.

WHY DOES MY TICKET PRINT UPSIDEDOWN & BACKWARDS?

Well, if you’ve got a minute. Our tickets are designed to work with all factory spec meters. Degree Day Systems Inc. was there when Neptune started and when Brodie, Master & Veeder-Root all started up. Over the years,

good intentioned people sometimes put Veeder-Root print heads on Neptune Meters and visa versa to save a few

dollars. All meters that come factory direct print from the top sheet down, NOT from the bottom (or hard copy) up.

They are not meant to print through the hard copy so don’t let someone try to convince you that you can

get by with doing that. We have universal meter tickets that will work in any meter. So please don’t call us and

say that our tickets don’t work right. ASK FOR SAMPLES before you order. THEY ARE FREE!!!!

GOOD THINGS TO KNOW. . .

Custom tickets, magnets, tags, labels & envelope orders are processed on Thursdays. Therefore . . . get your order in by Wednesday and your order will be processed that week. Orders for the above mentioned items received on Friday, won’t go out until the following Friday.

We are always closed the day after Thanksgiving. If you need to order you can fax, email or use our On-Line store. We’ve done this for over 20 years, and we still get callers in our voice mail upset that we’re not open.