Save money with Heating Oil Rural Bulk Buy Scheme

Heating Oil Bulk Buy Scheme Launched by Rural Charity

A scheme to save money on home heating oil has been launched by an Essex charity for rural community development.

The Rural Community Council of Essex (RCCE) said it plans to use the model of a local buying syndicate for domestic heating oil and roll it out across the whole county.

As part of a national network syndicate with rural councils in other counties, RCCE said there was great potential to harness the purchasing power of the many rural communities who are without mains gas, so that together, local oil-buyers would be able to make significant savings.

It said experience had already shown it was possible for oil-buyers to get a discount of around £50 on a single order. Community organisations and businesses will also be able to join the scheme, which will be run by RCCE’s own social enterprise business.

Syndicate members

Nick Shuttleworth, RCCE Executive Director said: ‘The key to making this work will be having local people who will collate the syndicate members’ oil orders once a month and pass the information on to us. We will then let the local members know the cost per litre and the delivery date. That’s pretty much it."

“Scheme members will be able to order as many times as they like during the year, and the price will be negotiated centrally.”

Mr Shuttleworth was keen to emphasise the environmental benefits of the scheme adding: “Delivery tankers guzzle a lot of fuel and the more deliveries they can make in one place, the less fuel they use. And the fewer tankers there are on Essex small country roads, the better.”

An annual membership fee of £20 applies to each household, £30 for a community organisation and £100 for businesses.

For further information about the oil buying scheme, contact Nick Shuttleworth or Martin Woodrow on 01376 574330.

Further information is also detailed on the RCCE website.