Check if you can save money on Oil, LPG, Coal or Wood to Heat Your Home
Citizens Advice Basingstoke is an independent local charity providing free, confidential and impartial advice for local people. If you use oil, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) or coal or wood to heat your home, check below to see if you can save money.
If you use oil
It’s worth getting at least 3 quotes from different suppliers, to compare prices and choose the best option for you. Get quotes from suppliers who are members of the UK and Ireland Fuel Distributors Association (UKIFDA). Member suppliers have to act professionally and treat you fairly. If they don’t, you can complain: https://ukifda.org/find-a-distributor/
It’s best to order when oil prices are cheaper, usually in summer and early autumn. It’s usually also cheaper to get oil delivered in a few weeks’ time instead of an urgent delivery. Before you order, check for extra fees or service charges. You could put some money aside each month in a savings account to help spread the cost over a year. Make sure you have enough oil in the tank while you wait for deliveries, at least quarter of a tank. If the oil level gets too low, the system could get damaged and need expensive repairs. It might be cheaper to order a larger amount of oil, instead of several smaller orders. Check your tank to make sure you’ve got enough space for a larger amount of oil.
You might be able to save on oil costs by joining an ‘oil club’. This means you buy your heating oil at the same time with other people in the area. You can search for an oil club online, on social media or on community notice boards. You can also check with your local council. If there’s not already an oil club in your area, you can set up one yourself.
If you’re 75 years old or over, and your supplier is a member of the UKIFDA, they should prioritise deliveries to you. This is called the ‘Cold Weather Priority Initiative’. You, or someone you live with, must be aged 75 or over. Your supplier should automatically add you to the ‘Cold Weather Priority Initiative’, but you should check you’re on it. If you use more than one supplier, you’ll need to check with each supplier. You might have to ask them to add you. You don’t have to pay for this. Check if your supplier is a UKIFDA member on the UKIFDA website: https://ukifda.org/find-a-distributor/
If you use liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)
If you have a storage tank, you’ll usually be tied into a 2-year contract. Ask your supplier when your contract ends. You might be able to find a better deal with another supplier. Most suppliers will let you keep your old tank. If they want to fit their own tank, they must pay for this – you can’t be charged for the removal of the old tank.
If you use coal or wood
It’s usually cheaper to buy your coal and wood in bulk. You might be able to find a better deal with another supplier – make sure you look around for deals regularly. You might also want to look into using different types of coal or wood. Some might be more energy efficient than others, which could save you money. You can check how to use your solid fuel heating system efficiently on the Solid Fuel Association website: https://solidfuel.co.uk/solid-fuel-energy-efficiency/
If you use alternative fuels such as oil, coal or wood to keep your home warm, you might be able to get extra help if you can’t afford to buy fuel, please see more details on: www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/energy/energy-supply/get-help-paying-your-bills/help-with-bills-if-you-use-alternative-fuels/
Citizens Advice Basingstoke is an independent local charity providing free, confidential and impartial advice for local people, whatever their enquiry involves.
Anyone wishing to speak to an adviser should call the free Advice Line on 0808 2787829. For details of the weekly drop-in advice sessions across Basingstoke or if you would like to send in your enquiry online please go to: www.cabasingstoke.org.uk
National Citizens advice website www.citizensadvice.org.uk
Registered charity no 900116.