Oakleys Fuel Oils

Oakley’s Fuel Oils is backing industry advice by urging customers to buy well ahead of any cold weather and the delivery pressure point of the run-up to Christmas.

“There is little sign of a drop in oil prices in the near future, so it would make very good sense for customers to stock up on supplies before we face any real winter weather, or the pre-Christmas rush,” said Oakley’s Fuel Oils Managing Director, Richard Bates.

His advice is in line with a joint initiative by the Federation of Petroleum Suppliers, Citizens Advice and the Government to get people to buy ahead of foul weather. Energy Minister Charles Hendry said: “I welcome this campaign by consumer groups and industry to encourage heating oil consumers to stock up early this winter…. Clearly, leaving orders to the last minute risks longer delivery times, especially if cold weather increases demand and disrupts transport, making deliveries difficult.”

With heating oil prices uppermost in everyone’s mind, there has been much talk about whether forming or joining Buying Groups can save money for individual householders.

 Oakley’s are happy to pass on any savings in delivery time and road fuel usage that we are able to make as a result of delivering to a Buying Group of people in a local area. If you run, or are thinking of forming, a buying group with near neighbours, here’s what you need to know about how Oakley’s prices are affected. 

 The optimum order from a buying group is around 17,000 litres. That is the carrying capacity of one of Oakley’s larger delivery tankers. If we can deliver a tanker full to several drops in one limited area, there are the greatest savings for everyone. However, many buying groups can still make savings on lesser quantities. 

The price per litre that a buying group can achieve depends on the following factors: 

1 – overall round-trip distance to all the group delivery points from our nearest storage depot (Telford or Kingsbury). The closer together the deliveries are, the greater the potential savings in driver time and transport fuel to complete the group’s order. We will work out the most cost-effective route before giving you a price per litre. If buying group deliveries are many miles apart, then the savings will be smaller. 

 2 – number of deliveries. The larger the average size of each delivery, the greater the savings in driver time and transport costs that Oakley’s can pass on to the group.

 3 – access for our standard tankers. For example, if one of the group drops can be made only by a mini-tanker, we will have to factor in the extra costs of sending out a small vehicle for that particular delivery.

 4 – time restrictions. If one of the drops is stipulated for a certain time or a specific day (for example only after 2pm, or only on a Wednesday), we may have to visit the area more than once, eating into the time and transport discounts available to the group.

 Customers who already place substantial orders as individuals (say 2,000 litres or more) may see the smallest savings in a buying group. That is because they will already be receiving a favourable pence per litre rate from Oakley’s based on the volume of their order. Users who generally order smaller quantities (say 500 or 1,000 litres) could see relatively greater benefits, because their individual volume discounts will not have been as big. The price per litre they pay will reflect the overall group order volume.

 Oakley’s are always interested in hearing from buying groups. If you want to talk further to us about group buying, please speak to Shirley at Oakley’s Telford depot (01952 684 600) or Peter at our Kingsbury, Tamworth depot (01827 875 588).

Commercial customers now have the option to receive their invoices and statements by email, as long as we have an approved contact name and email address.

Similarly, we are receiving an increasing number of requests from customers who want to pay for their fuel oil by BACS or by Internet banking. It’s easy to do and so to set up this facility, please phone our Telford office, 01952 684600, and we will provide you with the details you need.

Not a throw-back to a seventies fashion item but a reminder to check the condition of your oil tank.

The main purpose of an oil storage tank is to store fuel safely. Tanks are usually made from steel or plastic but come in all shapes and sizes.

Spilt oil can pollute the ground, streams and rivers. Cleaning up oil spills is difficult and can be very expensive, hence you should adequate insurance cover for this. However, not all oil tanks or installations will meet the requirements of current legislation.

All storage tanks for oil on commercial premises must be bunded to prevent oil leaking from the tank into the environment. If your tank has no bund you are breaking the law and you will be severely prosecuted if you have a leak of oil. You could well find that your insurance will not cover the cost of any cleanup operation as the oil was stored in an illegal storage tank.

Tank inspection

It’s a good idea to get a qualified professional to inspect your tank system at least once a year. Take action to fix any problems or concerns they report to you.

Sudden drops in oil level may indicate your tank has a leak. If you think there’s a problem, consult a professional urgently.

Replacing a tank
When replacing your oil storage tank, get advice from a suitably qualified and competent tank installer. They can help you identify features on the site which will dictate what can be installed and how to comply with legislation.

Choose a tank that has been manufactured to a recognised relevant European, British or industry standard. These show that a tank has been manufactured and tested to strict quality standards. If in doubt, please call Oakley’s. We stock a full range of oil storage systems for most applications, please ask for details.

Not content with imposing a further increase in duty from 1st September, the government is cooking up plans to further complicate the pricing structure of fuel oil with discussion on possibly having two grades of red diesel. One would be for engines used for ‘propulsion’ and the second for ‘burning oil’ used in heating systems. As for pricing, well nothing is decided yet but whatever the final outcome, it will certainly complicate the pricing structure for gas oil.