COMMUNITY OIL BUYING SCHEME

A shrewd time to fill up your oil tank!

If you rely on oil for your heating and hot water, then now is probably the best time to top up your tank.

Demand for oil has dropped with the recent outbreak of Coronavirus. This in turn has led to a significant drop in oil prices. Kaz Adams, from the charity West of England Rural Network, says “Whilst we would generally advise all our members to fill up their oil tanks during the summer months (the time when most oil suppliers experience a quieter period and are therefore generally more willing to negotiate a lower price) it would appear shrewd to do so NOW”. Kaz runs a community oil buying scheme, which obtains cheaper prices for its members by placing a single large order once a month and negotiating with multiple local suppliers to get the best price. Members’ prices are on average 6 pence per litre cheaper than average oil prices, and was 35.50p per litre (plus VAT) in March 2020.

The West of England Rural Network is offering free memberships (*normally £20/year for domestic users) to domestic heating oil users aged 70 and over who may be struggling to pay their fuel bills, living in the West of England. This is thanks to a grant awarded by Quartet Community Foundation from their ‘Surviving Winter’ fund. The scheme is open to all residents of Bath and North East Somerset, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire and Bristol. Local community buildings such as village halls, schools and churches can also benefit from the scheme, as well as businesses such as farms, shops and offices. If you are interested in joining the community oil buying scheme, contact Kaz Adams on Tel: 01275 333701, Email: karen@wern.org.uk or visit
http://www.wern.org.uk/community-oil-buying-scheme/

The oil buying scheme referred to is run by West of England Rural Network, a local charity promoting rural sustainability. One of its charitable aims is to reduce rural fuel poverty and the oil buying scheme helps many rural people to reduce their oil bills.