Beware Boiler Juice

A._Badger

"You pay £286.25" says the email in bold orange type, echoing the heating oil price quoted on Boiler Juice's  website quotation a few minutes before.  

But wait a minute. The website quotes a price of 52.24 per litre. Now my maths can be shaky at times but 500 x 52.24 doesn't make £286. Is it the extra a VAT charge? No.  It's not till you almost get to the point of giving them your card details that you see they've added almost £12 as a 'service charge'.

So be warned. Whatever price per litre these people claim they are charging is definitely not a like for like quote against other suppliers, who usually offer a ppl which excludes only 5% VAT - in other words without any spurious 'service charge'. .

lohr500

I don't have a problem with their service charge.
They make it very clear before you commit to pay that there is a service charge.

You just need to factor the service charge into the price per litre when comparing with other direct/indirect suppliers.

On Monday, I ordered 1000 litres from Boilerjuice at £0.58 per litre including VAT and the service charge.
This after phoning around all my local suppliers for a direct price.

The oil was delivered today by one of the suppliers I had contacted direct and who quoted me £0.61 inc VAT on Monday.

This is the 2nd time in the past 12 months that Boilerjuice have come up with a better price from a local supplier than I have been quoted direct. 

A._Badger

If you just compare Boiler Juice with a local firm, then I'm not surprised they beat them Their quote to me today was the first time in several years that they have been the best of the half dozen suppliers I ask, including the 'usual suspects' like the heating oil clubs and national firms like Certas. They are the only supplier I have seen that has a service charge and one that isn't made clear until quite late in the ordering process.  

HillStreetBlues

I agree that ppl should be updated to include the service charge.

The only logical reason they don't do it is to make price look cheaper as many just compare ppl.

CliveOfIndia

I don't know if it depends whereabouts in the country you are, but I've always found BoilerJuice horrendously expensive.  I ordered some oil just a couple of days ago - my regular "panel" of local suppliers that I always phone up ranged from 55 - 58 ppl, the cheapest quote from BJ was 87 ppl - and that's without their service charge being added.

I'd pretty much stopped even bothering to look at BJ, it was only because I'd seen posts here saying they were competitive again.  I can't understand why they're so much more expensive than local suppliers.

It's no skin off my nose, obviously - I always just go with whoever is cheapest.

boingy

They introduced the service charge when credit card surcharges were outlawed. Back then it was only a few quid but they have gradually and quietly bumped it up since then. Round here (Gloucs) they are usually fairly close to the best price. I have occasionally saved a tenner by phoning around and using the BJ price to haggle but, frankly, it's more hassle than its worth especially as some of the suppliers are downright evasive when you try to pin them down to a delivery window, even to the nearest week. And it's very convenient to order online. Click click click. Done.

mark_cycling00

I just ordered 1000l at 57p. 
Certas wanted 81p (gloucs)

There seems to be a local guy called Joe who comes close to boiler juice though

Their last accounts I looked at showed a very big loss so I don't feel I'm being ripped off. 

I can enter what three words too Which means I can actually indicate the location of the tank for the driver.

Saying that, when prices are high they don't get to sell cheap oil so can be more expensive 

dunstonh

Saying that, when prices are high they don't get to sell cheap oil so can be more expensive 

Boilerjuice effectively offers suppliers a chance to get incremental business to fill capacity that they may have available.    What you generally find is that companies in your area have capacity and excess oil, they will offer a good price.    But when there is little or no capacity and no excess oil, they will either refuse to quote or quote more expensive.

grendonhousefarm

Cannot recommend these people. Its taken 14 days to get a delivery and when it turns up they cannot follow simple instructions and in fact the driver lies about receiving them even though boiler juice confirm the driver did have the instructions. But even worse instead of delivering to two tanks they only bring one load and suggest the second delivery is another 4 days time. Also by the time you add in the 'service charge' its actually more expensive than local companies. They've lost 70,000 litres/year of business orders from me because of this diabolical !!!!!! up.