(NECN: Josh Brogadir, Hudson, N.H.) - It's been a cold week, and thousands of people in New Hampshire have come face-to-face with a nightmare scenario: Their home heating oil from Fred Fuller Oil and Propane never showed up.

"They're swamped I get that, I know they're dealing with problems, but that hasn't stopped my family from being cold," said Bob Runci, of Derry.

He is among tens of thousands around New Hampshire who rely on Fred Fuller oil trucks to fill up and drive over to their homes and businesses to keep them warm, but it hasn't been happening.

"(I have been out of oil for) four days. I've been putting in five gallons a day diesel in," Runci said.

He couldn't get through on the phone, so he came to the company headquarters in Hudson for a second time this week to be that squeaky wheel.

We asked General Manager Oren Havey about the major problem getting oil to customers. He blames the bitterly cold weather and primarily an internal issue with the phones.

"Instead of 35 lines coming through, we've got 12 lines coming through. Customers get upset and I don't blame them, coldest time of the year," Havey said.

But even though he says all has been fixed, when Havey tried to call the company himself on his cell phone while we waited, he couldn't get through.

"The phones are 99 percent working," Havey said. "I know they're doing better than they were, before we had no phones at all.

Customers we spoke with think there's more to it than that.

"I don't buy it," said a longtime customer who didn't want to show his face, and says he won't be showing it around here again, since that Fred Fuller is losing his business.

The state set up a hotline for customers in imminent danger of losing their heat and for many who have none, and there have been thousands of calls.

"I was hoping it was getting on the right boat now, but now I know that the phones aren't working so, I'm hoping within a day or two, probably by Monday or Tuesday. I've got the guys all working Saturday or Sunday, 12 hour days, 14 hour days," Havey added.

The attorney general is investigating.

Schools have been affected by this too.

School Administrative Unit #44 Superintendent Robert Gadomski told NECN two of their schools, Northwood and Strafford, have been unable to get enough oil from Fred Fuller, and had to use other suppliers in an emergency.

If you are a Fred Fuller customer, that emergency hotline is 603-227-0002.