e-buying group for domestic heating oil brings down costs

An estimated 2 million homes across the UK use oil for domestic heating. Most people buy their oil individually and pay higher prices than necessary. BoilerJuice, a new oil users’ buying group, is tackling this problem in an exciting and innovative way by offering online buying to oil users across the UK. By coordinating the buying patterns of consumers there is a positive effect on the environment, with fewer journeys for oil tankers. This benefits oil users, distributors and the countryside.

Run from the home of husband and wife, Paul and Sarah Ward, BoilerJuice has already successfully placed orders for homes nationwide, with membership growing daily. BoilerJuice uses collective buying power to negotiate the lowest bulk oil prices for members. It automatically selects the lowest oil price in any given postcode area and allows the oil user to place their order online 24 hours a day, 7 days days a week.

Behind the BoilerJuice website lies a powerful database that enables members to join forces with other users in the same postcode area so they can obtain favourable quotes, and place orders based on their group’s total volume requirement. This facility allows oil users to order their heating oil alongside local friends, family and neighbours, meaning everyone achieves significant cost savings. Individual and group orders are easily managed via www.boilerjuice.com.

Oil suppliers have welcomed the benefits to be gained from coordinated deliveries clustered in one area which reduces their costs and increases their competitiveness. BoilerJuice simply takes the order and places it with the cheapest available supplier. Suppliers contact oil users direct to arrange delivery and payment.

There is no charge for oil users to obtain a quote from Boilerjuice or to use the service. They simply enter their postcode and the quantity of oil required. To complete the order, the user must complete a brief registration process.

Paul Ward explained the reasons for setting up the buying group: "It seemed crazy to see oil tankers delivering a relatively small amount of heating oil to one household one day, and back again the next week to deliver to a neighbouring home. We thought we could do something about this and bring savings to householders in the process. It is in everyone’s interests to minimise heavy traffic on our country roads and reduce harmful emissions. It also seemed obvious that if two or more buyers group their orders they can obtain a better price for ordering a larger volume of oil. A recent example which shows that the idea works was a 40 house delivery to one village. Instead of 40 individual tanker journeys, two tankers did the job in two days. Savings made were up to 5p per litre, with an average saving of 3p per litre."

BoilerJuice, established in 2004, is an e-buying group for users of oil for heating which covers all of the UK. It exists to encourage communities to engage in collective oil buying. BoilerJuice is run by husband and wife, Paul and Sarah Ward.