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.

Supporting Our Work to Make New York a Climate Leader

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.org.

Once 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.
NYPIRG in the News
State lawmaker wants new nuclear power plant to be located in Central New York  (My Twin Toers, June 26, 2025)
Southern Tier reacts to proposed Nuclear power plant  (WBNG, June 24, 2025)
Hochul's upstate nuclear power plant proposal comes with mixed reactions  (Spectrum News, June 25, 2025)
Regional Opposition Grows as Croton Prepares to Vote This Week on Project Maple Fracked Gas Pipeline  (The Examiner News, June 23, 2025)
For New York canners, a dime could make all the difference  (Prism, June 23, 2025)
A tale of two legislative houses  (WAMC, June 23, 2025)
Albany takes no action on packaging reduction and recycling bill  (Yahoo News, June 21, 2025)
Affordability, Trump and what to do about late budgets: A look at the 2025 legislative session in Albany  (Spectrum News, June 20, 2025)
Senior Policy Advisor Blair Horner discusses cuts by the federal government and the potential impact on New York on The Capitol Connection  (WAMC, June 19, 2025)
New York State Legislature Strikes Down Gas Industry Giveaway that Drove Up Energy Bills  (Yonkers Times, June 17, 2025)
The Senate wraps up, but not the Assembly; issues to watch  (WAMC, June 16, 2025)
As the state Senate calls it a session, the Assembly still has a lot of work to do  (Spectrum News, June 13, 2025)
Musk, Trump, and the nation’s finances  (WAMC, June 11, 2025)
Critics say new state budget cuts off large blocks of public spending from independent review  (Newsday, June 9, 2025)
Fossil Fuel Companies Rake In Record Profits as New Yorkers Struggle  (Ithaca Journal, June 5, 2025)
Letter: Stop Climate Polluter Handouts  (HV1, June 3, 2025)
Health costs quietly rise in New York State as hospitals buy more private practices  (Newsday, June 3, 2025)
Gas pipelines eye return to New York  (ABC News 10, May 29, 2025)
Recycling, HEAT Act, bottle bill are key issues as NYS lawmakers near end of session  (Newsday, May 26, 2025)
One budget failure  (WAMC, May 19, 2025)
News Archive
Reports & Features
NYPIRG’S REACTION TO GOVERNOR HOCHUL’S NUCLEAR POWER PLAN
New Yorkers must not be fooled a third time about the purported benefits of nuclear power.
The public should demand that Governor Hochul deliver a full independent public vetting of her latest nuclear power plan. That means allowing the entire state to be part of the discussion, examining the expected costs (including the industry’s history of cost overruns), examining the waste storage requirements (on-site forever?), and examining the full cost impacts both directly and indirectly, such as what New York Power Authority projects will be scrapped in order to fund the building of a new nuclear power facility. The fact that the governor is eyeing new, untested approaches to nuclear power underscore the need for a full, transparent process.
The Albany Money Machine – End Of Session Edition : 176 Campaign Fundraisers Held in the Capital District or by Leadership During 62 Scheduled Session Days
See NYPIRG's 2025 Legislative Review - Tale of the Tape
NYPIRG Statement: The Straphangers Campaign applauds the New York City Department of Transportation's recently unveiled plan to implement center-running bus lanes and pedestrian islands along Flatbush Avenue between Livingston Street and Grand Army Plaza.
With momentum growing in the state legislature to pass a statewide rebate program for purchasing electric lawn equipment, representatives from STIHL, EGO, Milwaukee Tools, Ryobi, The Home Depot, and Ace Hardware joined organizers from NYPIRG, Environment America, and other advocacy groups for an informative day of testing out cleaner, quieter electric lawn equipment. The “Electric Lawn Equipment Demo Day” offered state legislators and their staff, as well local residents, the opportunity to learn about the benefits of going electric.
Marking the 500th day since the Department of Environmental Conservation released its once-in-a-decade “Solid Waste Management Plan,” a coalition of environmental, charities, and small businesses today called on the State Senate and Assembly to pass the Bigger, Better, Bottle Bill (S.5684/A.6543) and the "Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act" (S.1464/A.1749).
The groups cited the failure of the state to attack the mounting packaging and beverage container trash crisis as a compelling rationale for legislative action this session. All of the state’s landfills are set to fill up within the next 25 years, but there’s no plan in place to reduce waste and stave off a crisis. The groups urged approval of packaging and bottle bill legislation to help curb New York’s mounting garbage problem.
Reconnecting Queens: Students Lead the Charge for Subway Expansion at QueensLink Town Hall
More than 100 students, faculty, and community members gathered at Queens College for a town hall spotlighting the QueensLink proposal — a community-driven plan to transform the defunct Rockaway Beach Branch into a new north-south subway line through Queens. Hosted by NYPIRG, the event featured interactive stations, personal storytelling, and direct engagement with project leaders. With Queens residents facing some of the city's longest and most unreliable commutes, attendees voiced strong support for the plan’s potential to connect transit-starved neighborhoods, slash travel times, and foster sustainable growth. Student organizers emphasized the importance of community voices in shaping transit policy, especially as QueensLink clears key funding hurdles and gains political momentum.
CITING A NEW POLL, ENVIRONMENTALISTS URGE ACTION ON PACKAGING AND "BOTTLE BILL" LEGISLATION A coalition of environmental groups today reacted to a new Siena Poll released today that shows that New York residents overwhelmingly support state policies to reduce single-use plastic packaging in New York. Seventy-three percent think big companies should be required to reduce packaging on their products, as proposed in the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act. And 61% want the beverage container deposit increased from 5 to 10 cents, as proposed in the Bigger Better Bottle Bill.
NEW REPORT SHOWS THAT NY TAXPAYERS COULD SAVE TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IF BIGGER, BETTER, BOTTLE BILL IS PASSED New York’s local governments could save tens of millions of dollars if lawmakers approved legislation to modernize the state’s “Bottle Bill.” That’s according to a new report released by a coalition of environmental, civic, labor and business organizations.
The report, produced by the think tank Eunomia, found that the state’s local governments could save as much as $108 million if lawmakers approved the “Bigger Better Bottle Bill,” legislation designed to modernize the four-decade-old law. The state’s Bottle Bill is the law that requires a nickel deposit for certain beverage containers and is redeemed when the consumer brings the container back to the store.
NYPIRG STATEMENT ON THE PRESIDENT’S EXECUTIVE ORDER SEEKING TO OVERTURN NEW YORK’S CLIMATE CHANGE SUPERFUND ACT
EXECUTIVE ORDER MEANS A $3 BILLION TAB FOR ALL NEW YORK TAXPAYERS TO SHIELD BIG OIL
President Trump yesterday signed an executive order that, among other things, attempts to overturn New York’s landmark Climate Change Superfund Act. The Act was approved to mitigate the costs to state taxpayers resulting from the damage caused by the ongoing climate catastrophe.
AS STATE SENATE PASSES ELECTRIC LAWN EQUIPMENT REBATE BILL WITH BIPARTISAN SUPPORT, 100 GROUPS ENDORSE PROPOSAL
Public health, environmental, and community groups call on state legislature to pass S1574/A2657 to promote transition from gas-powered lawn equipment to electric
As lawmakers consider the governor’s proposed higher education budget, NYPIRG today released a policy paper, “Promises made, promises broken.” The paper examined higher education policies which undermined the finances of public colleges and colleges in the independent sector.
REPORT AND NEWS RELEASE: Examining Delays in the Small Claims Courts Throughout New York State and Recommendations for Reform
NYPIRG applauds the decision by the New York State Court of Appeals to uphold the constitutionality of the state’s ethics and lobbying law and reject the separation of powers arguments advanced by former Governor Andrew Cuomo.
NYPIRG RELEASES NATIONAL DATA SHOWING NEW YORK’S HOSPITALS RANK BELOW THE NATIONAL AVERAGE IN TERMS OF QUALITY OF CARE
NEW YORK RANKED 34TH IN THE NATION IN TERMS OF QUALITY OF CARE IN HOSPITALS
Utah ranked first in the nation, according to The LeapFrog Group’s Fall 2024 report. New York ranked well behind Connecticut (3), New Jersey (5), California (6), Pennsylvania (9), Florida (13), and Massachusetts (23).
New York has consistently ranked in the bottom third of the nation.
NEWS RELEASE: Governor Hochul and the Department of Environmental Conservation approved the Title V Air Permit application submitted by Iroquois ExC to expand the gas compressor stations in the Town of Athens and the Town of Dover, exposing Hudson Valley residents to increased air pollution and higher risks of gas line explosions.
Release: National data showing New York’s voter participation rate dropped to lowest level since 2004. New York ranked 43rd in the nation in terms of voter registration.
NYPIRG analysis released: Modernization of the state's Bottle Deposit Law would generate nearly $100 million more than it does now in the first year of implementation, revenues that can be used to invest in the state’s flagging recycling efforts and to improve its administration
NYPIRG Reacts to Executive Budget
The New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG) today announced that effective January 1, 2025, Megan Ahearn is its new Executive Director. Ms. Ahearn previously served as NYPIRG’s Program Director overseeing NYPIRG’s community and campus policy work. Ms. Ahearn succeeds Blair Horner and will be NYPIRG’s eighth Executive Director in its 50-plus year existence. Horner will remain on NYPIRG’s staff as its Senior Policy Advisor, primarily focusing on state government advocacy.
Reports & Features Archive