What is The heating oil club?

The heating oil club is a web based community buying group for users of domestic heating oil, aimed at helping us all save by ordering our oil together. By all grouping together to order our oil we become one big buyer with enormous buying power. We can demand better prices, better service and better savings.

How does The heating oil club work?

When you need to order oil, simply come to us and order on our website. Your order will then be grouped with other members and presented to the oil supplier as one big order, which gives us the power to demand the savings we deserve.

How much could I save?

It’s hard to put a number on how much you could save with The heating oil club, due to the volatile and constantly changing nature of the heating oil market. However in the past we’ve known ourselves to offer savings of 5p per litre, which would save you £50 on a typical order of 1000 litres.

Regardless of the actual amount, you can always be confident that The heating oil club works hard to provide you the maximum savings.

How often does The heating oil club order?

We order heating oil at least once a day and sometimes more.

Is The heating oil club just another oil company in disguise?

No. The heating oil club is an online community dedicated to providing our members with savings on their heating oil; we’re not an oil company. We work with oil companies to provide our members with the best prices and levels of service, but we’re not owned in whole or in part by any oil supplier.

How do I join?

Joining couldn’t be simpler. All you need to do is fill in your details on our Join Us page. You don’t have to place an order to join and joining is entirely free.

Do I have to pay to join?

No. Not a penny! Joining is completely free and the only thing you will ever have to pay for is the oil you order. The heating oil club is an online community dedicated to getting you savings on your heating oil.

My account activation e-mail has not arrived?

This is almost always the result of your mail provider rejecting the e-mail as spam (unsolicited mail) or your e-mail software marking it as junk and moving it to the Junk/Spam folder.

The first thing to do is to check your junk mail folder or deleted items. If you find the e-mail there, please mark it as ‘not spam’ and/or add the address noreply@theheatingoilclub.co.uk to your contacts or ‘safe senders’ (or better still set the system to allow any mail from theheatingoilclub.co.uk).

If you request another activation e-mail and it still doesn’t arrive (and you are certain that you entered with the correct e-mail address) then it is likely that your e-mail provider is rejecting it before it ever gets to your e-mail inbox. This is most often a problem with company mail servers and with domains hosted by 123-Reg/Webfusion. In the latter case you can log in to your domain hosting account and add our e-mail address to the whitelist or adjust the rejection settings for junk mail.

If you still have a problem then please contact us and we can activate your account manually, but you may not receive order acknowledgement e-mails and will have to log in to your account to check on the status of your orders.

How do I order?

We’ve tried to make the ordering process as easy as possible.

If you’re already a member, simply log in to get a personalised quote and then click ‘Order now’. If you’re not already a member you can get a quote by visiting our Get a quote page, if you’re then interested in ordering you’ll be prompted to join, after which you can place your order.

The order process itself is a simple 5 step process where you:

• Enter the amount of oil you want, select the delivery address and enter any special instructions.
• Select the tank for the delivery.
• Then you’ll be shown the total price again to confirm.
• Enter your payment details.
• Finally you’ll see an overall confirmation page where you’ll be asked to confirm whether you want to proceed with the order.

When the order is successfully submitted, you will receive an e-mail confirmation from us.

When should I order?

For most of the year, we recommend that it’s time to fill up when you get down to about a quarter of your tank. However at certain times, for example around Christmas or during periods of particularly bad weather, we recommend ordering early to avoid the rush. If at the start of December it doesn’t look like your oil will last until the end of January, we recommend ordering then.

Please note: with some older tanks it may be necessary to reset the tank gauge by pressing a button or pulling a lever in order to get an accurate reading.

What kind of oil do I want/do you deliver?

The main kind of home heating oil is Kerosene (28 second) and this is what most people will use.

The lesser used alternative to Kerosene is Gas Oil (35 second), which is found mainly in older installations and industrial boilers. One common way to tell between the two is to look at the gauge, or the oil itself, and if it’s red/pink it’s Gas Oil. However if you’re unsure we recommend you contact a qualified service engineer.

We currently only specialise in providing Kerosene, domestic home heating oil, as this is what the vast majority of people use.

How much oil do I want?

This depends on the size of your tank and how much oil you have left. If you’re unsure of your tank size, you can use our handy guide to common tank sizes and capacities to, hopefully, give you some idea and help you figure out how much oil you want.

Two things to bear in mind are that there is a legal minimum of 500 litres (see the Federation of Petrolum Suppliers briefing note) and that if you order over 2300 litres, and you are a domestic user, you may need to sign a declaration to avoid paying the commercial VAT rate.

Why can’t I order less than 500 litres?

This is a legal limit set by the UK Weights and Measures Authority (see the Federation of Petrolum Suppliers briefing note).

In the same way that you can’t legally order less than half a pint of beer in a pub, you can’t legally order less than 500 litres of heating oil for delivery.

This is to do with the accuracy of the meters on the delivery trucks – below 500 litres, the meters are not sufficiently accurate to meet the requirements in the Regulations.

Can you just fill up my tank?

Yes, we just need you to give us a rough idea of how much oil you need so that we can reserve you some space on the tanker. To get us to fill up your tank just enter the rough amount you need when you order and enter “Fill tank” in the “Special delivery instructions” section.

What happens if my tank won’t take the quantity I’ve ordered?

Don’t worry, we won’t try to put in more than you can take. The driver will fill the tank up as much as he can and then we’ll refund you the difference. You only ever pay for the oil you actually receive.

Can I change or cancel my order once I’ve placed it?

Yes, we just ask that you contact us as soon as possible. As long as you let us know at least one full working day before the scheduled delivery date then we can guarantee that any changes will be made or, in the case of cancellation, that you will receive a full refund.

Unfortunately we cannot guarantee the cancellation of an order on the day of delivery, short of you actually turning the driver away, and a successful cancellation may result in a surcharge being levied by the supplier.

Do I need to be in when my oil is delivered?

No. As long as the driver can get to your oil tank then they’ll be able to manage fine without you there.

I need/want to be there when my oil is delivered. How will I know when it’s coming?

Just enter “Ring before delivery” in the “Special delivery instructions” when you order your oil and the supplier will contact you prior to delivery.

This will not add anything to the price of your delivery.

I think I’ll need a small truck. What should I do?

The main reason you might need a small truck is if there is likely to be an issue with turning space or if there are particularly stringent height or width restrictions. If you think this is the case then simply enter “Small truck” in the “Special delivery instructions” section when you order.

This will not add anything to the price of your delivery.

I think I’ll need an extra-long hose. What should I do?

The typical length of a truck’s hose is 150 feet, but if you think it will take more than this to reach your tank then just enter “Extra long hose” in the “Special delivery instructions” section when you order.

This will not add anything to the price of your delivery.

I have run out and need a delivery ASAP. What should I do?

Just let us know that you have run out in the “Special delivery instructions” section when your order your oil (for example, by entering “Run out”) and we’ll pick this up and do our best to get an oil delivery to you ASAP. In many cases we can arrange a delivery for the following day, depending on the time the order is placed.

Access to my tank is through my house or a covered passageway. Is this an issue?

Unfortunately due to health and safety regulations many oil companies are unable to deliver if the only access is through a part of your house (as advised in a Federation of Petroleum Suppliers briefing note). However, this does not apply to garages. Our advice to anyone in this situation is to contact a tank supplier and see about arranging alternative access such as an offset pipe. If you want to know more about this or find out if this applies to you then please feel free to contact us.

I have other special instructions you need to know about. What should I do?

Any other special instructions we might need to know about can be included in the “Special instructions” textbox when you order your oil. This might include things like: key-codes for gates, how to find the tank, details about animals, or anything else that might be important.

If there are special instructions that will be applicable to all your orders, then to save you having to enter them each time, these can be specified during registration or on your account details page (when logged in).

How long will my delivery take?

We expect a typical oil delivery to take about five working days from when we first receive the order. However at certain times of the year, for example around Christmas, or during periods of particularly bad weather this can extend. Under exceptional circumstances, for example if you have run out or there are health issues, we can often arrange a quicker delivery from our suppliers. If you do have a problem, please advise us as soon as possible when ordering. You will always be advised of the current expected delivery date on the confirmation of your order.

My oil’s late. What should I do?

If you think your order is late then the first thing to do is to contact us and we’ll look into it for you. Please ensure you let us know your order number.

Which supplier will deliver my oil?

To ensure you get the best price, quality and service we use a number of different suppliers and so you may find your supplier changes from order to order depending on who is best at the time. The heating oil club only uses experienced & efficient distributors and you can be assured of a high level of service.

How will I know how much oil was actually delivered?

When your oil is delivered a delivery note will be pushed through your door by the driver detailing exactly how much oil you received. This is regulated by trading standards and so you can be confident that the meter readings are accurate.

Attention Aga and Rayburn users!

As a result of new EU directives insisting on cleaner fuels, kerosene now has a lower sulphur content. This can carbonise and create efficiency issues when burnt at high temperatures in Aga and Rayburn oil-fired cookers.

A chemical additive is available which should be mixed with the heating oil when delivered. This enables the kerosene to burn more efficiently in the Aga or Rayburn and alleviates recent issues. We recommend that all Aga and Rayburn users use this additive to avoid encountering problems.

You can request this additive when ordering oil, by entering the number of bottles required in your special instructions in Step 1 (Order details) of the order process. The additive currently costs £20 + VAT per bottle, and one bottle treats 1000 litres of oil.

Lead times

The lead times quoted in the right-hand column of the page are calculated automatically from the orders handled by all suppliers of The heating oil club over the last 7 days. They are provided as a guide to current trends but may not be indicative of what will be achieved on any particular order as lead times vary constantly between suppliers and across regions.

“Order confirmation” is the time taken from order placement to confirmation by a supplier, averaged across all orders which have been confirmed in the last 7 days.

“Quoted delivery” is the time taken from order placement (not order confirmation) to the estimated date of delivery, as quoted by the supplier, averaged across all orders which have had an estimated delivery date set by a supplier in the last 7 days.

How do I know what price I will pay?

The price per litre that you are quoted when you order your oil is the price you will pay for it, plus VAT. The only thing that can affect how much you pay after you’ve ordered your oil is how much oil is actually delivered. If you ordered 1000 litres, but could only take 900, you wouldn’t want to pay for oil you didn’t get.

To find out today’s price, you can get a personalised quote.

I have special instructions for my order. Will this cost extra?

No. We don’t allow our suppliers to charge our members extra for orders with special instructions. As far as we are concerned, our members buy the oil and then it’s the oil suppliers’ responsibility to deliver it.

What is the VAT rate for different types of fuels?

For Kerosene, home heating oil, the domestic VAT rate (for home users) is 5% and the commercial VAT rate (for businesses) is 20%. If you order over 2300 litres, the oil companies are obliged to charge you the commercial VAT rate unless you sign a declaration stating you are a domestic user.

How do I pay?

Payments are accepted by debit / credit card and are made to the oil company direct. The card used must be registered to the member’s main address.

Since January 2018, there are no handling fees for credit cards. There have never been handling fees for debit cards.

How often does the price change?

It’s difficult to give a precise answer as to how often the price of oil changes as sometimes it can stay the same for several days and then at other times it can change three or four times in the space of a day. We ask our suppliers to check their prices at least daily and on average this is how often we would expect the price to change.

To get an idea of the recent fluctuations and trends in the price of oil you can look at our price trend chart.

What kinds of things affect the price of oil?

Supply problems, new technologies, wars, terrorism and even changes in the weather can all cause fluctuations in the price of heating oil. Unfortunately these all tend to be factors whose presence causes the price to increase a lot quicker than their absence causes it to fall. To keep you up to date with these kinds of events, we’ve pulled together the most relevant news stories for you here on our website.

The price of heating oil also varies a lot at different times of the year, and usually in a cycle, so by keeping an eye on the latest trends you can get a good idea of what the price is currently doing and when is the best time to buy.

I think I’ve found a cheaper quote. What should I do?

The first thing to do is to check that you have our most up-to-date price by getting a personalised quote. Prices can change hour by hour and by a number of different factors so it’s always worth checking one more time.

If it still seems we’re not the cheapest then that’s very disappointing. We work hard to try and provide the best prices for our members and we’d appreciate it if you could contact us providing details about the quote you found, such as who from, when, the quantity and the price, so that we can improve the service we provide.

How do you protect my credit card details?

All of your personal details and credit card information that you enter into our website are securely encrypted and transferred using SSL/TLS security. This ensures that no-one can see or intercept this information as you send it to us.

Once we receive your credit card details they are all encrypted when stored on our system and are only available to the supplier depot which is processing your payment. They are automatically deleted from the system once your oil has been delivered and they are never available to anyone else — not even to the administrators of the site. This is all designed to meet the requirements of the latest Payment Card Industry standards.

Who owns The heating oil club?

The heating oil club is a Limited Company registered in England and Wales, Registration number: 05131807. Registered Office: Le Phare, High Street, Yelvertoft, Northampton. NN6 6LQ

What is The heating oil club’s VAT number?

GB 989 9319 31

Where can I find a boiler engineer?

To find a boiler engineer in your area simply visit the OFTEC website to search for an OFTEC registered technician near your postcode.

Where can I find answers to my questions about oil tanks?

We have a separate FAQ page for oil tanks.

My oil is late

If you think your order is late then the first thing to do is to contact us and we’ll look into it for you. Please ensure you let us know your order number.

I think there’s a discrepancy in the amount ordered/delivered/charged

You will only ever pay for the quantity of heating oil delivered, and this can be different from the amount you ordered for a number of reasons. Your tank may not hold the ordered quantity, or the driver delivering your fuel may feel for safety reasons that a lesser quantity is more suitable.

If there’s an issue with your order than you don’t think is attributable to this, then please don’t hesitate to contact us.

I’m experiencing some issues using the website

The best thing to do if you’re having issues using the website is to contact us. Make sure to let us know what problem you are having and what you were trying do.

How can I get in contact with you?

The best way to get in touch with us is through the website using our online contact form or alternatively by e-mail at: contact@theheatingoilclub.co.uk. We’re always happy to hear from our members and all messages received this way will get a personalised response as quickly as possible.

Can I phone you?

While we do have a phone, we prefer not to use it. We are primarily a web-based community and by not having a dedicated phone service we can work more efficiently. We offer excellent service when contacted by e-mail or through our online contact form and all messages will receive a personalised response as quickly as possible. When contacting us, if you include your phone number in the information you provide, and we think it’s necessary, then we’ll give you a call and save you the trouble.