As the OFT investigate "off-grid" energy suppliers, could oil buying groups help rural households?

[Susan Thompson]

This new OFT investigation will cover all “off-grid” energy suppliers following the severe price increases during this cold winter of 2010/11. 

www.heating-oil.blogs-uk.co.uk/oft-announce-official-heating-oil-pr... 

 

I've heard that a new local oil buying group is being formed locally to help rural communitites to negotiate discounts for heating oil during these times of ever increasing prices...  will post more details soon....

 

In the meantime the following websites give some interesting background details....

http://www.oilconsolidation.co.uk/

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?p=258053

 

 

Better insulation and solar panels are another crucial way to save money and valuable resources.. but that’s for another discussion...

 

News of any existing buying groups would be interesting, please post information to help other village connections? 

[Johnny Denis]

Hello VC

 

Me and Zoe are setting up a domestic fuel buying group. The Fuel Coop is working with a national buying group to bring the benefits to Sussex. Members in January were able to save about 10p a litre - £100 on a 1000L tank. We are at early stages now so we are looking for people to register an interest rather than any commitment. So please have a look at our website www.thefuelcoop.weebly.com  and let us have you thoughts. I would also welcome people facebooking and twittering if they are that way inclined. Many thanks. J

 

I will add a link to village connections on the links page. 

[Susan Thompson]

Thanks to Sheree Foster for passing this on .... just to let you know that we already do this in Rodmell, has been going for quite a while and saves us quite a bit of money and also minimises oil trucks through the village...

[Johnny Denis]

That's great! It would be good to hear about the prices Rodmell have had quoted and which suppliers they have gone to so that The Fuel Co-op can learn from them.  How do we get in touch with Sheree?

Susan Thompson said:

Thanks to Sheree Foster for passing this on .... just to let you know that we already do this in Rodmell, has been going for quite a while and saves us quite a bit of money and also minimises oil trucks through the village...

[Susan Thompson]

Doly Garcia of the Eco Energy Fair and of Brighton and Hove Transition has passed on the following advice:

"I think finding ways of buying heating oil cheaper doesn’t resolve the fundamental problem, which is that standard heating oil is bound to become more and more expensive over time. Instead, you might want to promote using vegetable oil for heating in those rural areas that heating oil is commonly used. You can read details about it here:"

http://www.bio-power.co.uk/faq.htm

 

The Brighton Eco Energy group recently screened "A Crude Awakening" a film which makes a convincing argument that we really can no longer rely on fossil fuels, and so i'm not surprised that Doly thinks this approach rather crazy... However, the plan is that further group energy and insulation buying decisions will develop once the group has formed?  preferably as soon as possible!