Break It Down: What is a Capped Price and How Does Downside Protection Work?

A capped price for heating oil is like having a safety net for how much you pay for your heating oil. Here’s how it works in simple terms:

Maximum Price Limit: When you enroll in a plan that has a capped price, we are ensuring the price you pay per gallon of heating oil won’t go above a certain limit, called the "cap". For example, if the cap is set at $4 per gallon, even if market prices skyrocket to $5 per gallon, you will only pay $4.
Market Fluctuations: If the market price goes below the cap, you pay the lower price. So, if the market price drops to $3 per gallon, you benefit from that lower price. Essentially, you get the best of both worlds: protection from high prices and the advantage of lower prices if they drop.

Downside protection is like having insurance for the price you pay for heating oil. Here’s a simple breakdown:

Protecting Against Price Drops: Imagine you buy heating oil at a certain price, but then the market price drops significantly. Without protection, you could end up losing money because you paid more than you needed to. Downside protection ensures that if the price drops, you don’t lose out completely.
Stabilizing Costs: With downside protection, you are safeguarded against severe price declines. This can be particularly useful if you’ve bought a lot of heating oil and then the prices fall sharply. You might get a refund or a credit to account for the lower prices, depending on the specific terms of your protection.

When you combine a capped price with downside protection:

Capped Price: Ensures you never pay more than a set amount per gallon, no matter how high market prices go.
Downside Protection: Ensures you can benefit if prices drop, so you don’t lose money if the market price goes down.

Together, these tools help stabilize your heating costs, giving you peace of mind and protection from volatile price changes.