Cheaper Oil for Fuel?

bobmedley

Just bought 800 litres for 55.95p per litre (58.75 inc VAT).

Hedging my bets as I think the price will fall further over Summer.

G_M

bobmedley wrote: »

Just bought 800 litres for 55.95p per litre (58.75 inc VAT).

Hedging my bets as I think the price will fall further over Summer.

Let us know if it works out!

I topped up 2 weeks ago at 53 ppl -let's see whose strategy works out!

Majic

I'm hoping to fill up below the 50ppl price. I'm trying to hold out until then. Lowest I've seen is 52.45 (2nd week of May).

bobmedley

G_M wrote: »

Let us know if it works out!

I topped up 2 weeks ago at 53 ppl -let's see whose strategy works out!

Deal:) I need another 1,000 litres to see me through the next 12 months.

50p/litre would be nice

G_M

bobmedley wrote: »

Deal:) I need another 1,000 litres to see me through the next 12 months.

50p/litre would be nice

but when it hits 50, won't you be tempted by thinking "48 would be fantastic..."?

HateLPG

I originally posted this in the Bulk LPG sticky, but on reflection, I think it would be very helpful here too. Apologies if the cross-post offends anyone, but I think the following is of significant importance to justify it (and I suspect there is not too much cross reading!).
_________________________________________________

Those who have read my posts in the past will know that I try to keep a watching eye on what's going on in Parliament in respect of Off-Grid energy supplies in general and LPG supply in particular. You will also probably know that I was distinctly unimpressed by the 2011 market study of the off-grid sector by the Office of Fair Trading, which I consider to be a very poor, shallow and unscientific piece of work.

I was therefore very surprised to discover only in the past few days that there is an All Party Parliamentary Group on Off-Gas Grid and that in October last year it launched an Inquiry into issues affecting off-grid constituents. This group includes several MPs who have been openly outspoken in their criticism of the Off-Grid energy sector. Their report was published in March this year and makes for very interesting reading, not least because it is openly critical of the OFT findings. I have reproduced their Summary of Findings below, which makes for very interesting reading. The full report and supporting documentation can be found on their web page at: http://appgonoffgasgrid.wordpress.com/ [highly recommended].

All Party Parliamentary Group on Off-Gas Grid - Summary of Findings

The off-gas grid sector has until recently been neglected as a subject for investigation and action, despite the many disadvantages with which off-gas grid consumers must cope. The Members of the APPG hope this inquiry and its recommendations help rectify this situation.

In terms of competition issues, we have a number of concerns regarding how the recent Office of Fair Trading (OFT) market study was conducted. The conclusions did not match the experiences which MPs heard about in their constituencies. It was with some surprise that we learned of the OFT’s reliance on data by postcode district to map numbers of heating oil distributors across the country. Postcodes can cover large areas, especially in rural parts, and do not give an accurate picture of how many suppliers cover each address in reality. Furthermore, the lack of spot checking meant the accuracy of this data was not confirmed.

We note the work carried out by the Competition Commission (CC) and OFT on improving switching for bulk LPG consumers. Regarding cylinder LPG, however, the OFT has yet to carry out any further work despite it being postponed from the original market study with the observations that cylinder LPG consumers are more likely than average to struggle with costs and are often unable to switch.

Heating is an essential service, and we believe consumers should be afforded the same level of protection no matter their source of energy. Moreover, although the APPG notes the argument that a natural monopoly does not necessarily exist in the off-gas grid sector, in some remote areas suppliers may have a local monopoly as effective as if the energy were provided through pipes and wires.

However, it is widely accepted that off-gas grid consumers do not enjoy equivalent protections to on-grid households. The Federation of Petroleum Suppliers (FPS) has yet to put in place a code of practice and shows no sense of urgency, despite having worked on the code for well over a year and having told the Energy and Climate Change Select Committee it would be in place by the end of last year. The consumers’ charter and recommended terms and conditions are also delayed.

Such a code would not cover over 20% of heating oil suppliers who remain outside the FPS and the strongest sanction would involve expulsion which is in, by default, the option chosen by those outside the federation. Miscommunication has meant the code has not been drawn up with any input from consumer bodies and has little emphasis on protection of the vulnerable.

Under the current system the OFT, Trading Standards and CC appear unable to guarantee sufficient consumer protection. For instance, the acknowledgement that suppliers routinely charge more on the day of delivery than originally quoted, a practice likely to be in breach of current consumer law, led to a single company changing its terms and conditions, rather than action being taken across the whole industry.

A particular case of insufficient regulation involves park homes residents, where the lack of secondary legislation equivalent to those dealing with water, mains gas and electricity could allow site owners to profit from their monopoly of supply.

The greatest anxiety for off-gas grid consumers tends to be high prices because of the more expensive fuels required to heat less energy efficient homes. Vulnerable off-gas grid households deserve payment assistance that meets their needs, particularly when the gap in costs compared to mains gas users is being widened by off-gas grid households being unable to benefit fully from smart meters, dual fuel tariffs and the Winter Fuel Payment.

Energy efficiency improvements are the only long-term answer to fuel poverty, yet there has never been Government policy focused directly on the off-gas grid sector where fuel poverty is particularly prevalent. Indeed, stakeholders complain about a lack of leadership, strategic focus or even knowing who to speak to in the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC). This was reflected in our experience, since the Department was unsure over which Minister should attend the APPG’s evidence session. Unsurprisingly, the Warm Front, CERT, and CESP programmes, whatever their merits overall, were of varying relevance to off-gas grid consumers, who will also struggle to meet the Green Deal golden rule.

The APPG welcomes, however, some funding set aside within the ECO for rural households, and feels also that the domestic RHI may prove useful. The opportunity to use these policies to benefit the neglected off-gas grid sector must not be lost.

There are other measures which could help off-gas grid residents. Smart metering is expected to be an effective efficiency measure for both mains gas suppliers and consumers, and off-gas grid smart meters could be of similar benefit. Some fuel suppliers have also been slow to embrace buying clubs which can offer the possibility of large orders at reduced cost of delivery and administration, providing consumers with enhanced buying power.

Lastly, large numbers of houses are within a small distance of the gas grid or are already connected but without gas heating. For these households, gas connection will remain a cost-effective option for the foreseeable future.

The committee comprises the following MPs (hopefully, yours will be among them):

• Dr Therese Coffey MP – Con, Suffolk Coastal (Co-Chair)
• Pat Glass MP – Lab, North West Durham (Co-Chair)
• Jim Shannon MP – DUP, Strangford (Secretary)
• Alan Reid MP – LD, Argyll and Bute (Treasurer)
• Gordon Banks MP – Lab, Ochil and South Perthshire
• Guto Bebb MP – Con, Aberconwy
• Rt Hon Sir Alan Beith MP – LD, Berwick-upon-Tweed
• Russell Brown MP – Lab, Dumfries and Galloway
• Katy Clark MP – Lab, North Ayrshire and Arran
• Nic Dakin MP – Lab, S!!!!horpe
• Chris Evans MP – Lab, Islwyn
• Angus MacNeil MP – SNP, Na h-Eileanan an Iar
• Mark Menzies MP – Con, Fylde
• David Morris MP – Con, Morecambe and Lunesdale
• Tessa Munt MP – LD, Wells
• Sarah Newton MP – Con, Truro and Falmouth
• Fiona O'Donnell MP – Lab, East Lothian
• Guy Opperman MP – Con, Hexham
• Albert Owen MP – Lab, Ynys Môn
• Julian Smith MP – Con, Skipton and Ripon

Should you wish to contact the Group for any reason, the named contact is:

Dr Therese Coffey MP,
House of Commons,
London
SW1A 0AA

Tel.: 020 7219 7164

I suggest that it would be a good idea always to send a copy of any correspondence to your constituency MP, especially if they are one of the Group members.

[Deleted User]

Just had a letter from Calor...

I am please to advise you that your Calor gas price will decrease to 56.4ppl + VAT with effect from 12 June 2013.

:eek:

No idea what it was before as I havent had a fill for a couple of years and unlikely to ever again

HateLPG

jeepjunkie wrote: »

Just had a letter from Calor...

I am please to advise you that your Calor gas price will decrease to 56.4ppl + VAT with effect from 12 June 2013.

:eek:

No idea what it was before as I havent had a fill for a couple of years and unlikely to ever again

Lol

But look on the bright side: If you were still with Calor, you'd now be paying only 12-15ppl over a current fair market price. That has to be good news :-)

tinkerbelltoulle

We have recently moved into a house which uses home heating oil and this is the first time I've delt with it. We ordered 500 litres when we first moved in as we needed it but when is generally the best time to buy? What is the average price of oil?

suki1964

tinkerbelltoulle wrote: »

We have recently moved into a house which uses home heating oil and this is the first time I've delt with it. We ordered 500 litres when we first moved in as we needed it but when is generally the best time to buy? What is the average price of oil?

There is no best time and there is no average price I'm afraid. Right now prices will start rising because of the troubles in Egypt.

One of the easiest ways to keep an eye on prices is join boiler juice. I'm not advocating buying from them but they do give you an idea of how prices are going. You then need to ring around and get quotes. More you buy the cheaper it is - 900ltrs usually a penny or so cheaper per litre then 500

Since last winter prices have gone from 66 pence to as low as 54p per litre ( Northern Ireland ) But its rising again