Over 1000 members have made yearly savings, averaging £156 each, thanks to Community Action Suffolk’s community oil buying scheme.
With over 113,000 premises in Suffolk not on mains gas, there are many people who could benefit from lower oil prices, particularly the elderly, those on lower incomes and those without access to the internet. The scheme collates orders from members across Suffolk, which are then added together into one large order, so that our oil buyer can negotiate the very best price for our members.
Launched in January 2012, the scheme also helps the environment too, by reducing delivery miles and the number of heavy tankers coming down rural roads and through villages. Delivery companies can co-ordinate a number of deliveries to one village at a time.
An online ordering system has been introduced recently, allowing members to easily place their own orders, amend orders and keep a record of previous buying history and prices paid, all through their own secure online account.
Community Action Suffolk is encouraging those who use oil, to become a member today as buying oil during the summer months is cheaper than during the peak months of the year. Membership of the scheme costs £20 a year for domestic households, or £30 for community groups and community buildings, but for local co-ordinators membership is free.
The scheme aims to make oil buying easier and cheaper for our members. We now have members from every corner of Suffolk, so wherever you are in the county, if you use heating oil, you can join our scheme. We have chosen AF Affinity, based in Norfolk, as our oil buyer. AF Affinity, a subsidiary of Anglia Farmers, uses the agricultural buying power of their parent group to get our members better prices. Whilst we cannot guarantee to be the absolute cheapest, we can assure you that AF Affinity provide our members with consistently low prices and excellent levels of customer service. Also, unlike some other commercial buying schemes, members pay the same price per litre whether they buy 500 or 1000 litres or more, and by becoming a member of the scheme, you are supporting Community Action Suffolk’s charitable work in the communities of Suffolk.
To join, all you need to do is visit our specialist website www.communitybuying.org.uk, call Community Action Suffolk on 01473 345400 or email [email protected]
Note: “£156 saved” calculated against average prices, total volume purchased across all our members – businesses, community groups and domestic households – in the last year. The average saving for domestic households is £104.69 and the average litres ordered per household is 1930 litres in a year.
