Have your say on community buying and collective ...

[MSE Wendy]

What this is all about?

As part of its consumer empowerment strategy the Department of Business is launching a ‘Guide for Community Buying Groups’ to encourage discussion and help people come together to get better deals.

Community buying involves groups of people combining their buying power to purchase goods or services together and get better deals from shops and other suppliers which can lower costs for businesses and consumers.

This already happens in heating oil and food cooperatives and the government wants to help it expand to energy, insurance and more.

The Guide for Community Buying Groups is for people who are looking into setting up a scheme in their community talking about the benefits, problems and how to get organised.

The interactive microsite for blogs, discussion and news is launching at 1pm on Wed 7 December and will run throughout 2012.

Let it know what you think

Have you tried to collective buy goods and services? How did it go?
Would you like to shop this way? What’s putting you off?

Report your experiences and stories below and the government will read your views.

[Decluttering]

I think this is a great idea, I'd love to hear of any initiatives in my area. I can't see myself setting one up myself though!

[kingfisherblue]

I buy fruit and veg from a food cooperative, which I think is along similar lines. It is run by the local social housiing association - they buy in large amounts of fruit and veg (locally grown where possible) and sell to local people. You don't have to live in one of their houses to buy.

You order and pay one week and collect the next. It does mean that you don't know what you will get, but for £3 a bag, it's still well worth it. Typically, a fruit bag contains
4x apples
4x pears
4x bananas
4x satsumas
6x plums
1x pineapple

A veg bag typically contains
1x bag of potatoes
3x large carrots
2x large onions
1x cauliflower
1x cabbage
1x large head of broccoli

Salad bags are also £3 and contain six types of salad veg, and free range eggs are £1 for six. It's a great scheme and saves money.

I'd like to see how much could be saved in fuel costs, as gas and electricity prices are quite high (even after changing and regularly reviewing).

[jackyann]

We set up a Wholefood co-operative in our village 29 years ago & it's still going (but I've moved away)
Members only, so no official involvement of environmental health.
4 x a year we would meet and agree what to buy, then share it out.
Tasks were: sending lists round; hosting meeting; adding up order; driving and collecting; weighing or measuring out; hosting collection; treasurer - who also ordered things like bags & labels.
We'd also bag up a small amount of left-overs for members to dip in to between meetings.

[stripee]

Originally Posted by MSE Wendy

This already happens in heating oil and food cooperatives and the government wants to help it expand to energy, insurance and more.

Other than Google, is there anywhere I can find out more about Oil community buying? Had a quick search on MSE unsuccessfully. Google gave me boiler juice, but are there other, better ones?

thanks as always

[Seanymph]

We have one where I live - in fact, mine was delivered yesterday.

There are a lot of members, I know 45 of us got deliveries at the same time this time.

One person collates the orders via email and phones six companies who 'bid' for the order.

We get told who has it, at what price they all quoted, and when it's coming.

It saves a lot of money over the year.

[stripee]

sounds like a great idea. I'm trying to help a friend get this set up in their village, so that's a great idea, thanks...

[AWatBIS]

Originally Posted by stripee

Other than Google, is there anywhere I can find out more about Oil community buying? Had a quick search on MSE unsuccessfully. Google gave me boiler juice, but are there other, better ones?

thanks as always

The Citizens Advice Bureau has useful information on oil buying groups. Just google "citizens advice and oil clubs".

And if you aren't already aware of the Department for Business Innovation & Skills' Community Buying Website you may want to check that out to. Just google "bis and community buying". The website has information on buying groups more generally. It includes case studies on existing buying groups and a guide for anyone interested in setting up a group.