help with getting heating oil

[nona2706]

hi i was just wondering if any of you's know if i can get any help to pay for home heating oil?im currently on benefits and have 2 children. Any help would be greatly received. Thanks

You sure can. It's called a job.

You can reduce the cost by joining a buying group. This can cut up to 20% off the price you alone can get.

Helpful comment there, 510 . We don't know the OP's circumstances. As far as I know, the only thing you can do is join a buying co-operative if there is one in your area.

We use oil, but we have no co-operative scheme where I stay. I would avoid the larger oil companies "top up" schemes where you pay a direct debit to them every month. We budget for our oil every month into our own account, therefore we get the interest on our money, not the oil supplier. Plus, we then decide when we need to buy more, not when the oil suppliers tell us we need it

Our supplier (although I phone around 5 different suppliers as I've found the price per litre can vary by over 10p) also offers a cheaper price if you order on their website and pay up front rather than waiting for an invoice through the post...saved me about 3p per litre and again possible as we have the money ready and waiting.

hth

chat to CAB for help with your other bills.

If there isn't a buyers group in your area you could leaflet drop other houses and start one up.

510 iv recently only lost my job and before that id worked since i was 14 so honestly your comment wasnt at all helpful. Thanks to the rest of you for your ideas.im going to research the schemes in my area

Have a look at this. I don't know where you are, but there are schemes like this all round the country - either google it, or you may well find that if you phone the number on that website, they might know if there is a similar scheme in your area

Anyone out of work,on hard times,trying to desperately cope with running a family financially please ask 510 as they obviously have all the answers.Chat forums are to help support and encourage not vent your anger issues!!!!!

There's some schemes around in most areas to help with the lump sum part but not heard of a way to get help actually paying it as its fuel payments which is householders responsibility
its only with oil that it's a lump sum upfront unlike gas or electric that can be weekly or monthly budgeted 500ltrs ( min spend amount ) is around £300 mark probably more than than less than even for working people finding lump sums can be tough, I'm a user of the other mums sight and if this had been posted there many more comments like 510 would been posted maybe 510 should move to that site and feel right at home with the ones who never has to deal with a fall on hard times as there's many up there rear end nasties there.

we buy ours in drums from a local supplier. We get a 20l drum (only put around 18l in from the pump as if you fill it up you slop it down the sides when filling the tank) and it lasts about a week... Only useful if you have a car to go get it though! Google kerosene pumps, or home heating oil emergency drums/top up and you might hopefully find something in your area. It's a faff but at least it means we always have heat.

Is there gas in your area? If so you could take advantage of the Green Deal from the end of January which would allow you to put in a gas boiler at no upfront cost and pay for the cost of the boiler by savings made on your energy bills over time. Gas is cheaper than oil and new boilers are very efficient.

Thank you all for your ideas unfortunately there is no gas in my area yet but hopefully by this time next year there should be.x

nona, I think you might be entitled to a crisis loan. That may pay for an initial delivery, then you could set up a DD with the oil co for future deliveries? Ask DWP if you qualify.

510 - shame. nona - good luck!

Boilerjuice.com is a postcode cooperative - you get an email if someone else is buying oil, and if you join in you both benefit... Sometimes it takes 5p off a litre. I haven't investigated if its always the cheapest though...

if you rent from a housing association or local authority, you may be able to arrange for them to pay to put the minimum (usually 500litres) delivery in, then charge it back to you weekly through your rent account over the course of a year. This also gives you a chance to start putting some money to one side for the next time you have to fill up?