Firstly, we are not a club, nor do we have any members, we just write and receive e mails and deliveries of expensive liquid.
Secondly, we don’t have rules or regulations, we just get used to the system.
Lastly, we don’t charge for the service, but we do ask for voluntary donations in January each year to St Mary’s Church Fabric Fund, if our members feel they have benefited from buying oil within a group as opposed to buying individually. £5 is good, £20 is better and £50 is excellent.
An average consumer should save approximately £60 to £80, and some could be saving £200/annum over some of the less honest offers. (Watson’s our closest local supplier based at Brize Norton, decline to quote our group !!)
Reminders :
- Our main suppliers are Sweetfuels and Red Horse Vale. They tell us that they buy on the “spot market”, an alternative to forward buying, which means that the price can change very quickly and explains why there is usually only a short period between receiving a price/litre (usually on a Wednesday) and having to complete the order by the following Saturday morning (3 days later)
- Minimum order is for 500 litres. Many suppliers will only deliver 1,000 litres plus, but we receive something equivalent to a 1,000 litre price as our deliveries are grouped with only small distances between customers. The other big advantage of 500 litres/delivery is that it makes our individual ordering more flexible, especially useful around Christmas and New Year, when we try to avoid ordering between mid-December and mid-January, when prices always increase.
- We usually buy about 9 loads a year, most months in the winter and fewer in the summer. Our orders vary between about 12,000 to 35,000 litres for between 15 to 45 customers each time.
- Invoicing, both the main suppliers will deliver and leave a delivery note. This will explain that payment can be made by bank transfer, telephone or postal cheque. We always ask our group to pay promptly as this gives us a stronger “negotiating position”. Your organiser has no involvement with the invoicing process, which is private between supplier and customer.
- Some of our group have invested in extra-large tanks, which allow them to purchase oil just once per year (in summer) or when for some reason prices hit a very low price. The return on investment can be very good. Tank prices are available online and Sweetfuels Ltd will fit new tanks.
- We will not deal with suppliers who require everyone’s credit card details in advance of delivery.
- Suppliers tell us that they are still having trouble making deliveries as a result of Covid and lack of HGV drivers.
- If any of you identify a competitive new supplier, please flag it up (or tales of a rip-off supplier – it does happen).
- All group communications will be sent BCC.
If any of our members have further questions, please call Alec Jones on 01993 842184 or 07855 297721