Our Work - Somerset Community Oil Buying Scheme

The Community Council for Somerset (CCS) launched the Somerset Community Oil Scheme at its AGM in September 2011. We are delighted with this new venture which will be good for individuals, good for the environment and good for CCS!

The scheme uses the model of a local buying syndicate for domestic heating oil, but rolls it out across the whole county of Somerset. We believe there is great strength in harnessing the purchasing power of the many rural communities who are without mains gas, so that together, oil buyers will be able to make significant savings.

This scheme has been tried and tested by other Community Councils in the country and experience has already shown that it is possible to save around £35-£40 on a single order of 1000 litres. Community organisations and businesses will also be able to join the scheme.

We are also keen to emphasise the environmental benefits of the Somerset Community Oil Scheme – delivery tankers guzzle a lot of fuel and the more deliveries they can make in one place, the less fuel they use, and the fewer the tankers there are on Somerset’s small country roads, the better!

How to sign up and start saving the pounds:

• Subscribe to the scheme – annual membership is £20 for domestic users, £30 for community buildings, schools and churches and £100 for business users
• Place your order for oil – this can be from as little as 500 litres per order and during any month of the year except December. Order deadlines can be seen here.
• You can place as many orders as you require during the year.
• Sit back and enjoy the benefits of obtaining the best price at the time and date of the bulk oil purchase.

Full details of how the scheme works are set out in two leaflets – one for local community co-ordinators (click here), and one for members of the scheme (click here).

Examples of testimonies from Oxfordshire:

‘Very happy to recommend this scheme - I placed my order, it was delivered speedily, and the price gave me an excellent saving.’

‘We have been pleased with the savings on our last order, and it also helps us to be able to order a minimum of 500 litres whereas previously we tried to wait till we needed 1000 to avoid paying even higher costs per litre.’

You can sign up today by filling in the web form below. Please be sure to fill in any additional information that the oil supplier will need to know about delivery. For example, dogs, locked gates and location of tank.

By joining our scheme you are agreeing to the Terms & Conditions of the scheme. Click here to see the terms and conditions.

How to pay:

• By cheque payable to Community Council for Somerset
• By BACS to Community Council for Somerset, Acc. no. 81168152 Sort code 09:01:27 (Please quote surname/organisation and postcode as the reference.)

Once you become a member, your local volunteer coordinator or member of the CCS team will contact you to collect orders near purchasing dates. If you would like to become a volunteer co-ordinator, you will benefit from free scheme membership, whilst helping members of your community save money. To enquire about becoming a volunteer co-ordinator please email Jason Tinley at oil@somersetrcc.org.uk or call 01823 331222.