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Over 1.5 million homes in the UK rely on heating oil to keep their houses warm during the winter months. The problem is that the whole process of buying heating oil can be confusing. Working out who to go to and the best price isn’t always easy.

So, if the plethora of suppliers has got your head spinning, read on and let us help you make the right decision.

• Oil Price Check
• BoilerJuice
• Fuel oil direct
• Heating oil.co.uk
• How to make even more savings

After the ravaging of last winter it’s important for people who rely on oil heating to prepare properly for the coming cold months. Preparing early will mean that you’ll avoid the rush and the price of oil will generally be lower.

Oil Price Check

Your first port of call should be Oil Price Check. We like this site because they give you a daily price guide so you can see the average price for heating oil on the current day (and the previous day for comparison).

They have a comprehensive list of suppliers for Northern Ireland and Scotland, and try Which Oil Supplier for services in England and Wales. If you don’t know who your local suppliers are, you can find them using the OFTEC website.

Oil Price Check also stocks a selection of useful products that can help improve the efficiency of your heating oil boiler.

Today’s prices (19th Sept 2011) showed heating oil to be at £61.31 per litre and £613.14 for 500 litres. We took four somewhat remote locations in England, N.Ireland, Scotland and Wales to give you an idea of how different the prices can be depending on your location. All prices were correct on the 19th September 2011 – check prices regularly as they change daily.

England: Postcode in Cornwall for an order of 1000 litres

Company	Price per litre in pence (ex. Vat)	Total in £ (inc.vat)	Delivery period
BoilerJuice	59.59	625.70	Within 10 working days
Heatingoil.co.uk	60.59	636.20	Within 10 working days
Home Fuels Direct	56.99	598.40	Unknown

Northern Ireland: Postcode in County Down for an order of 1000 litres

Company	Pence per litre (ex.vat)	Total in pounds (inc.vat)	Delivery period
BoilerJuice	55.8	585.90	10 working days
Carlisle Fuels	57.78	577.84	Unknown

Scotland: Postcode near Inverness for an order of 1000 litres

Company	Pence per litre (ex.vat)	Total in pounds (inc.vat)	Delivery period
BoilerJuice	45.91	482.06	Within 5 working days
Home Fuels Direct	61.99	650.90	Unknown

Wales: Postcode in Cardigan for an order of 1000 litres

Company	Pence per litre (ex.vat)	Total in pounds (inc.vat)	Delivery period
BoilerJuice	56.87	597.14	Within 10 working days
Heatingoil.co.uk	58.31	612.26	Within 10 working days

As you can see from these results, there is a huge price difference purely depending on where you are, never mind who you’re ordering from. We’ve gone through the price ranges with you, but now it’s time to learn more about the companies you could be buying from.

BoilerJuice

One of the best sites to visit if you are in a remote area is BoilerJuice, as they have a comprehensive directory of heating oil suppliers.

How it works

To get a free quote, all you need to do is provide your postcode, desired delivery date and the amount of oil you need. BoilerJuice will then search their databases and come up with the cheapest quote for your amount, area and preferred delivery time.

Once you’ve got a free quote there’s no obligation to buy, so it’s a good way to get an idea of prices in your area.

BoilerJuice also runs ‘buying weekends’ which anyone can take part in. They organise your delivery in accordance with those in your surrounding area which can save you some serious money.

The only problem is that once you’ve placed your order with BoilerJuice, you are somewhat on your own. If you want to change or cancel your order, or if any problems arise, you have to deal with the supplier directly. Also, if you have specific requirements regarding your delivery, BoilerJuice cannot guarantee to accommodate them.

Fuel Oil Direct

Fuel Oil Direct is great if you have certain specific requirements, like a tank that’s hard to get to, or if you need a company to deliver when you aren’t at home.

How it works

To get a quote, you need to provide your postcode and then choose the suppliers that you would like quotes from. You then have to enter your personal details and you’ll receive quotes by email from each individual supplier. Obviously this means you don’t get instant results, and you do have to make the comparison yourself.

Once you have your quotes, you can pick the cheapest one and pay the supplier directly. If you have any special requirements, give the supplier with the best price a call and see if they can accommodate you. If not, move onto the next supplier.

Heatingoil.co.uk

Heatingoil.co.uk is great for helping save you money, as well as having a dedicated aftersales team to deal with any issues you may have.

How it works

Unlike the other sites, you can buy your oil directly from Heatingoil.co.uk. Their site claims to offer lower prices because they only do quotes online. This means they have a smaller staff and fewer overheads. So they pass the savings on to the customer.

They’ll give you an instant quote if you enter your postcode. Then you can choose whether or not you want to carry on and buy your oil from them.

They also allow you to order your oil up to a month before delivery. They agree prices for up to 28 days in advance with their suppliers and you are guaranteed the price per litre you paid on the day, even if the oil price rises. Watch out though because conversely, if the price drops, you’ll be paying more and if you want to cancel and re-order they’ll charge you a £10 admin fee.

Unlike BoilerJuice, these guys take charge of all aftersales, so you will be dealing with them if any problems arise or if you need to cancel orders.

The best way to get the cheapest price on this site is to select a large delivery window. This flexibility means they can work your order around other orders in your area. And like BoilerJuice, these guys run group buying days.

Which Oil?

To find companies that supply your area just go to WhichOilSupplier, type in your postcode and they’ll find the best prices for you. Not all of the websites are listed on here, so be sure to check out the sites we’ve mentioned to get the best deal possible.

Make even more savings

Time your order

According to BoilerJuice the price of oil is currently at about 57p per litre – which is more expensive than this time last year – when it was around the 40p per litre mark.

This rise in prices is no doubt down to the severe winter last year, and prices will continues to rise as the cold weather approaches, and demand goes up. Comparing prices regularly will show you the various fluctuations and help you buy at the lowest price. Don’t leave it till the last minute or you’ll be forking out a fortune.

Ditch the direct debit

Try to avoid setting up a direct debt with a particular supplier. Being tied up to one specific company means you won’t always be getting the best price, because you won’t be able to choose exactly when to buy more oil. Also make sure you avoid automatic top-up schemes.

Negotiate

Never accept the first quote you are offered by an oil supplier. Although it requires more effort, it’s best to follow the Moneymagpie mantra – shop around and compare prices. You can then use these quotes to negotiate with your preferred supplier, if you have one. Or just go for the lowest quote you’ve received.

Order in specific amounts

Remember that tanker deliveries are designed to return to the depot empty. If there isn’t enough room to put all the oil you’ve ordered in your tank, it will cost more for the tanker to return to the depot – and you’re the one who will foot the bill.

So – to avoid paying for oil you don’t get the benefit of, make sure you have enough space for the full delivery, or only order the specific amount you’ve got room for.

Order in bulk

Getting together with your friends and neighbours from the local area will get you a better price from your oil supplier. The supplier will only have to send out one tanker that way, and they will be able to pass the savings onto you.

In addition, the more oil you buy at one time, the more power you’ll have to negotiate on price. The suppliers will be especially keen to get your business if it’s a large order, and they’ll be more inclined to offer you a cheaper price per litre.

 Useful Links

• Oil price check
• BoilerJuice
• Heating oil.co.uk
• Fuel oil direct
• Home Fuels Direct
• Carlisle Fuels
• Which Oil Supplier