Consumer Focus Wales is today launching a bilingual ‘top tips’ campaign aimed at helping people who use domestic heating oil to keep their bills under control.
The campaign – in partnership with EST and supported by Age Cymru, Care&Repair Cymru, and the Welsh Government – will encourage households which rely on heating oil to get the best possible deal. It is part of Consumer Focus Wales’ work to tackle fuel poverty, which now affects one in every four homes in Wales and over two-fifths of people living in off-gas properties.
Lindsey Kearton, policy manager at Consumer Focus Wales, said: ‘Our research in to people living off the mains gas network last year revealed the difficulties people often face in keeping their homes warm. In recent years we have seen big spikes in the cost of heating oil during the winter months, and the devastating impact that can have on household budgets.
‘As a result of that research, we wanted to help people who rely on domestic oil to get the best possible deal. We will be encouraging people who rely on heating oil to print out top tips posters or take home a tea towels with the tips on it, to ensure the message is getting out there and that consumers can cut the cost of heating their homes this winter.’
The campaign is part of a coordinated campaign by consumer groups and industry to encourage heating oil consumers to stock up early on winter supplies when prices tend to be lower and suppliers have spare delivery capacity. Leaving orders to the last minute during the winter risks longer delivery times and higher prices. Consumer Focus Wales has produced tea towels which are being distributed by partner organisations and a poster which can be downloaded through their website.
Off-gas facts:
- One in six homes in Wales do not use mains gas to heat their homes. The majority of these use domestic oil for their heating. (source: DECC)
- 143,000 homes in Wales rely on heating oil. (11.3%) This is a greater percentage than in England or Scotland (Living in Wales Survey 2008).
- In rural Mid Wales heating oil it is the most popular form of heating and the second most popular form of heating in South West Wales (LPG/bottled gas being the most common).
- People who use heating oil are more likely to be in severe fuel poverty (20% of income is used on heating) than those reliant on other off-grid fuels.
Top tips for domestic oil consumers (detailed version)
- When filling your tank for the winter, try to do so early in the autumn. Suppliers are usually less busy in this period and able to offer better value than in the peak periods of December, January and February.
- Get a second quote to make sure you are getting the best price for your oil.
- If you are having difficulty in paying for your fuel as a lump sum on delivery, ask your supplier about paying monthly by Direct Debit.
- If switching supplier, make sure that you give your new supplier accurate delivery instructions. They can then send an appropriate delivery vehicle and the driver can safely fill the correct tank.
- Discounts are available to buying groups. However, the majority of savings can be made by ordering with up to five neighbours in the same street or village.
Call the Welsh Government’s Nest scheme on freephone 0800 512 012 (or 0300 456 2655 from mobiles) for advice on saving energy, income maximisation and to find out whether you could be entitled to home improvements at low or no cost to you, to help make your home warmer
Notes:
Tea towels and posters featuring the Consumer Focus Wales/EST top tips are being distributed by Care & Repair Cymru and several Age Cymru charities – with a special emphasis on rural areas. The Welsh Government is also spreading the message through it’s Gwlad magazine. Download the poster: http://www.consumerfocus.org.uk/wales/files/2011/09/Domestic-oil-tips-poster-web.pdf
Consumer Focus Wales is a founder member of the Fuel Poverty Coalition Cymru and also supports the National Assembly for Wales’ Cross Party Group of Fuel Poverty. For more on our work in this area follow this link: http://www.consumerfocus.org.uk/wales/policy-research/fuel-poverty
In July 2010, Consumer Focus Wales published Off-gas consumers and microgeneration. The report showed that energy consumers who are not connected to the gas mains face a series of disadvantages, linked to their lack of access to mains gas. This current project is part of our follow up work.
Last week the Office of Fair Trading announced that it had taken action to prevent consumers being misled when searching online for heating oil supplies. http://www.oft.gov.uk/news-and-updates/press/2011/96-11
