DF Richard
D.F. Richard is a family-owned, Dover, NH-based regional energy services company delivering propane, Bioheat® heating oil, and kerosene to 14,000+ residential and commercial customers across the NH Seacoast and Southern Maine, with HVAC installation, service contracts, and budget-billing programs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1932
- HeadquartersDover, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What DF Richard does
D.F. Richard is a privately held, family-owned regional energy services company headquartered at 124 Broadway, Dover, New Hampshire. Founded in 1932 by Daniel F. Richard during the Great Depression as a home-based heating-oil delivery and equipment-service business, it is now operated by multiple generations of the Richard family and serves more than 14,000 residential and commercial customers across Southern Maine and the New Hampshire Seacoast. The company delivers propane gas, Bioheat® heating oil (a biodiesel blend), and kerosene, and sells, installs, and services heating and cooling equipment from major brands including Fujitsu, Viessmann, Bradford White, Rinnai, Empire, and Modine.
The core operating technology is a degree-day-based automatic delivery forecasting system that schedules fuel deliveries based on weather, average usage, and seasonal patterns, accessible to customers via a mobile app on iOS and Android plus an online account portal. Service offerings are structured into recurring-revenue products — Value and VIP Service Protection Plans (the VIP tier includes free furnace/boiler replacement), a Tank Protection Plan covering up to $5,000 of corrosion-related oil-tank replacement, and the SmartPay 11-month budget program that pays a 1.5% annual rebate on credit balances. Ancillary offerings include the iWave-R needlepoint bi-polar ionization air purification system, 24/7 emergency no-heat service with a 4-hour response guarantee, and add-on air quality and equipment lines.
D.F. Richard makes money across five streams: per-delivery fuel transactions (the largest), one-time HVAC equipment sales and installations, subscription service protection plans, on-demand maintenance and repair services, and budget-billing subscriptions. The go-to-market is sales-led and direct: technicians and inside-sales staff quote free estimates via phone or website, fuel is delivered on company-owned trucks, and service is performed by in-house certified technicians. Distribution is exclusively direct — no resellers or intermediaries — and is concentrated in a contiguous NH/ME Seacoast operating geography that the company has deliberately expanded to include 50+ named service-area towns and a new 2025 propane storage facility in Farmington, NH.
DF Richard firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- DF Richard
- Legal name
- D.F. Richard
- Website
- https://dfrichard.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1932
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- D.F. Richard is a family-owned, Dover, NH-based regional energy services company delivering propane, Bioheat® heating oil, and kerosene to 14,000+ residential and commercial customers across the NH Seacoast and Southern Maine, with HVAC installation, service contracts, and budget-billing programs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where DF Richard is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Dover
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
DF Richard business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Fuel Delivery (Propane & Heating Oil): Delivery of propane gas, Bioheat oil, and kerosene to residential and commercial customers. Includes automatic delivery options and will-call ordering.
- Heating & Cooling Equipment Sales & Installation: Sale and installation of furnaces, boilers, air conditioning systems, water heaters, and related equipment. Technicians are certified and factory-trained.
- Service Protection Plans: Value Plan and VIP Plan offering annual tune-ups, discounted repairs, diagnostic services, and guaranteed response times (4-hour no-heat service guarantee). VIP includes free furnace/boiler replacement.
- Service & Maintenance: Annual tune-ups, gas checks, and repair services for heating and cooling systems performed by certified technicians.
- SmartPay Budget Program: Monthly payment program dividing fuel costs over 11 months. Includes 1.5% annual rebate on credit balances.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Value Plan - Basic service protection with annual tune-up and repair discounts |
| Subscription | Annual | VIP Plan - Premium protection with free furnace/boiler replacement |
| Subscription | Annual | Tank Protection Plan - Oil tank leak coverage |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
DF Richard product offering
Product offeringCore offering
D.F. Richard delivers propane gas, Bioheat® heating oil, and kerosene to residential and commercial customers in the New Hampshire Seacoast and Southern Maine, and sells, installs, and services heating and cooling equipment (furnaces, boilers, central air conditioning, ductless mini-splits, water heaters). The offering is completed by recurring service protection plans (Value, VIP, Tank Protection), an annual SmartPay budget program, a 24/7 emergency service guarantee with a 4-hour no-heat response, and a mobile app for account management.
Product overview
D.F. Richard Energy is a family-owned regional energy company serving the New Hampshire and Maine Seacoast since 1932. The company operates as a single-segment energy services provider rather than a technology platform. Its product portfolio centers on home energy delivery (Bioheat® heating oil, kerosene, and propane gas), complemented by installation and maintenance services for heating and cooling equipment. The core offering is fuel delivery, which the company augments with service protection plans (Value and VIP tiers), budget payment programs (SmartPay), and air quality products (iWave-R). Equipment sales include major brands like Fujitsu, Bradford White, Viessmann, and Rinnai. A customer portal and mobile app enable account management and delivery scheduling, but there is no unified software platform—products function as standalone service offerings rather than an integrated modular system.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Bioheat® Heating Oil Clean-burning home heating oil blended with Biodiesel, marketed as a renewable-energy heating fuel with the highest BTU content of any alternative fuel. Delivered to residential and commercial customers in NH and Southern Maine.
- Kerosene Heating fuel sold and delivered for outside tanks exposed to weather conditions; does not freeze or gel until approximately 37–40 degrees below zero.
- Propane Gas Delivery and Service Propane gas delivered and serviced for homes and businesses in New Hampshire and Maine, including automatic delivery, will-call ordering, and 24/7 emergency response.
- Heating and Cooling Equipment Sales and Installation Sale, installation, and service of furnaces, boilers, central air conditioning, ductless mini-split systems, and related equipment from major brands including Fujitsu, Bradford White, Viessmann, Rinnai, Empire, and Modine, performed by certified, factory-trained technicians.
- Annual Tune-Up Annual heating-system tune-up including heat-exchanger inspection, filter replacement, efficiency testing, and TankSure ultrasound tank inspection, performed by certified technicians.
- Service Protection Plans (Value Plan and VIP Plan) Annual subscription plans covering heating-system tune-ups, repair discounts, diagnostic-fee waivers, and a 24/7 4-hour no-heat response guarantee. The VIP Plan adds free furnace/boiler replacement if the unit cannot be repaired and requires a home inspection prior to enrollment.
- Tank Protection Plan Annual subscription plan providing free oil tank replacement if the tank leaks due to corrosion, available for above-ground and basement tanks up to 330-gallon capacity, with savings of up to $5,000 on replacement and an annual tank inspection required during tune-up.
- SmartPay Budget Program Monthly payment program that spreads fuel costs evenly over up to 11 months and offers a guaranteed 1.5% annual rebate on credit balances, helping customers manage seasonal heating costs.
- iWave-R Air Purification Self-cleaning needlepoint bi-polar ionization generator installed in residential duct HVAC systems to kill mold, bacteria, and viruses and reduce allergens, without producing ozone.
- D.F. Richard Customer Portal and Mobile App Digital account-management portal and mobile app for iOS and Android that lets customers manage accounts, schedule deliveries, request service, and process payments.
Quantifiable outcome
- 24/7 emergency service guarantee - 4-hour response time for no-heat situations
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use DF Richard
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
DF Richard technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
DF Richard partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- National Propane Gas Association (NPGA)minorSteve Powers from D.F. Richard was elected to the NPGA Board of Directors as New Hampshire State Director for term June 2025 to June 2027. This represents industry advocacy and leadership rather than a commercial partnership.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
DF Richard competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Dead River Company: Maine-based family-owned heating oil, propane, and HVAC services company serving northern New England. Closely comparable to D.F. Richard in service mix (fuel delivery plus equipment installation and service), residential customer base, and northeast regional footprint.
- Palmer Gas Company: Family-owned New Hampshire propane and heating fuel distributor serving NH and southern Maine. Directly comparable to D.F. Richard in geography, product offerings (propane, heating oil, HVAC), and family-operated regional business model.
- R.H. Foster Energy: Maine-based full-service energy company delivering heating fuels, propane, and HVAC equipment services to residential and commercial customers. Comparable to D.F. Richard in service portfolio (fuel + equipment + service plans) and northeastern residential customer base.
- Blue Flame Gas: New Hampshire and Maine-based propane distributor delivering fuel and providing HVAC services to residential and commercial customers. Comparable to D.F. Richard in product mix, NH/ME service territory, and residential heating customer focus.
- Eastern Propane Gas: New Hampshire-based propane distributor serving residential and commercial customers across northern New England. Directly comparable to D.F. Richard in propane delivery business model and overlapping NH service geography.
Broad incumbents
- Suburban Propane Partners: Public national propane distributor serving residential, commercial, and industrial customers across the United States. Comparable to D.F. Richard's propane core but operates as a broad incumbent at significantly larger scale with multi-region infrastructure.
- AmeriGas Propane: Largest U.S. propane distributor serving residential, commercial, and industrial customers nationwide. Comparable to D.F. Richard in residential propane delivery economics, but operates at massive scale with a national footprint well beyond any regional player's reach.
- Ferrellgas Partners: National propane distributor with a strong residential tank-exchange and delivery customer base. Comparable to D.F. Richard in propane retail service model but operates at much larger scale with geographic diversification outside New England.
Emerging players
- HomeWorks Energy: Massachusetts-based residential energy efficiency contractor delivering weatherization, insulation, and heat pump installation funded through Mass Save and utility programs. Adjacent to D.F. Richard's HVAC installation business, but positioned specifically for the electrification transition that threatens legacy fuel delivery.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
DF Richard social profiles
Digital presenceDF Richard financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
DF Richard leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
DF Richard funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
DF Richard M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about DF Richard
What does DF Richard do?
D.F. Richard delivers propane gas, Bioheat® heating oil, and kerosene to residential and commercial customers in the New Hampshire Seacoast and Southern Maine, and sells, installs, and services heating and cooling equipment (furnaces, boilers, central air conditioning, ductless mini-splits, water heaters). The offering is completed by recurring service protection plans (Value, VIP, Tank Protection), an annual SmartPay budget program, a 24/7 emergency service guarantee with a 4-hour no-heat response, and a mobile app for account management.
Is DF Richard a public or private company?
DF Richard is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was DF Richard founded?
DF Richard was founded in 1932. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is DF Richard based?
DF Richard is headquartered in Dover, United States, in the North America region.
How does DF Richard make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Fuel Delivery (Propane & Heating Oil) is the primary driver. The others are heating & Cooling Equipment Sales & Installation, service Protection Plans, service & Maintenance and smartPay Budget Program.
Who are DF Richard's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Dead River Company, Palmer Gas Company, R.H. Foster Energy, Blue Flame Gas and Eastern Propane Gas. Broad incumbents are Suburban Propane Partners, AmeriGas Propane and Ferrellgas Partners. HomeWorks Energy is listed as an emerging player.
Does DF Richard have an API?
No public API is recorded for DF Richard.