New to heating oil

Guru86

Good Morning,

I am about to move house in the next couple of weeks into a house with heating oil. I have never used this before and always been on the main gas.


I just want to know what I should expect with heating oil? Is the ordering process easy?


And do I need to be in for deliveries? There is a gate that gives access to rear garden where the tank is but this will be unlocked.


Thank You

lazer

i order mine by phone, pay by card in advance and they deliver when i am not there - so all very easy

Ebe_Scrooge

As Lazer says, as long as they can access the tank then there's no need for you to be there.


When ordering, always phone around half a dozen different suppliers and ask them for a quote. You'll find a big difference in price between the cheapest and dearest. And the supplier who is cheapest one time will likely not be the cheapest next time. For this reason, don't be drawn in to a direct debit contract with one supplier - much better to put money aside every month into a separate account, maybe even earn a tiny bit of interest on it, then you'll have the cash available when you need to fill up.


Prices vary day by day, but as a general rule of thumb they tend to be more expensive in the winter. So if possible, and this depends largely on the size of your tank, try and time it so you buy in the summer when prices are cheaper. This obviously depends very much on your usage pattern, but if you can do this it'll save you a bit of money.


Use the BoilerJuice website to get a ballpark figure before you phone the local suppliers. I've never yet found BoilerJuice to be the cheapest, local suppliers always beat it, but it's useful to get a benchmark price. But if it does turn out to be the cheapest then go for it.


Lastly, lots of suppliers will actually haggle - many's the time I've phoned someone up, they give me a price, I say "Sorry, I've already been given a cheaper price elsewhere", and they'll match or beat it.


Finally, be aware that most suppliers will apply a surcharge if paying by credit card, but a debit card is fine.


Oh, and the price per litre tends to be cheaper if you order 900 litres or more ( certainly for my area, 900 litres is the cut-off point, but ask the supplier if you're not sure ).

reeac

I use Boilerjuice to see the trend of prices - is it going up or down. If the former then buy pronto but if the latter then watch the price for a few day or weeks to see if the downward trend continues. The trend has been downwards for a year or so now. Don't get caught out by running low in the Winter
I always feel that the big plus point of oil is that you're not tied up in a long term contract with lots of fine print. You just buy a tranche at a time with no further commitments.

Ive_got_a_lovely_bunch_of

I used boiler juice a couple of months ago and they were cheap as I only needed 500 litres and they charge the same as it would be for 1000 litres

Better_Days

Check to see if there is a local community buying scheme. These schemes bulk buy so can get a good price. Ours charges £20 a year, but that is saved on the first order. They have 2 dates per month that you have to order by, the oil is delivered and payment taken 14 days later.

Keep an eye on your tank - ordering for next day delivery because you are about to run out is usually expensive.

Guru86

Thanks for all the advice.

Is there simple things to measure the level of oil? Is it a dip stick.

Also how good are the alarms for thefts or is there any security measures you can recommend?
Thanks again

Ebe_Scrooge

Guru86 wrote: »

Thanks for all the advice.

Is there simple things to measure the level of oil? Is it a dip stick. I use a very high-tech device - it's called a garden cane All you really need to know is approximately how full your tank is - almost full, half full, about a tenth-full etc. I generally order mine when it's about a tenth full or so, but you'll get to know your own usage patterns after a few months.

Also how good are the alarms for thefts or is there any security measures you can recommend? I've never used an alarm so can't really comment. But a simple way is to enclose the tank in a steel mesh cage - you can get them purpose designed for the job. The only thing to bear in mind with this - it does mean you need to be around to unlock it when the delivery arrives.

Thanks again

................

barbaraemmerson

I have an oil watchman that sits in the tank and sends a wireless message to a plug in unit in my kitchen that shows the level of oil in the tank - from 1-8. We joined an oil club and order on line when our tank goes down to 2. Dead easy and guaranteed the best price on the day of ordering - usually two ordering weekends a month.

N9eav

Guru86 wrote: »

Good Morning,



I just want to know what I should expect with heating oil?


Thank You

The biggest thing to expect is that unlike gas or electricity prices, Oil changes daily. Due to the world markets its about 30p per litre today, the best it has been for several years. When market prices rise or there is a lot of cold weather around, the consumer price rises. The prices rises also if you need it urgently.
It has been up around 60p a litre not that long ago. It makes a huge difference on cost.


Watch the markets (boiler juice is a good indicator) Buy as much as you can when you figure prices are low... Don't wait until, the tank is empty to order. Phone around for prices...


Theft is not that common and happens more often when prices are high. Depends where your tank is and how concealed the access.

Seanymph

Your Parish Clerk will let you know if there is a free to join Parish club you can order through.

Often the Council will pay the membership so anyone in the village can order.