How To Select Your Oil Supplier

Ask Yourself, "How do I choose a supplier of domestic heating oil?" We've been asking visitors to our website for years for their suggestions, and here is a summary.

Price

Not surprisingly, most people choose on the basis of cheapest price. Finding that lowest cost supplier can be time-consuming though, and involves many phone calls. You should get at least three quotes over the phone for delivery in your area, most people seem to phone four or five companies -- you might end up phoning ten suppliers or more, to figure out what the lowest price is you can get away with paying. Of course, what works out as the "cheapest" may depend on your circumstances. Most suppliers charge extra unless you order at least 900 litres at once.

Buying Power

What if you want to buy less than 900 litres? It may well work out cheaper to look at the service organised by BoilerJuice: they try to find buyers in your locality who all need oil about the same time. On the back of more buying power from more potential clients, Boilerjuice negotiates a lower price for you. The idea is that because the oil-supplying company has to travel fewer miles to sell lots of oil, they can drop their price a bit saving everybody time and money.

Cash on Delivery?

Many companies want payment on delivery or even in advance; if these are awkward methods for you, you may have to settle for a more expensive supplier who will let you pay by other means, such as direct debit or invoicing. Convenience is also a factor; if a supplier insists that you be home to pay them upon delivery, you might prefer to deal with someone else who can deliver oil when you're out, or at times which are more convenient to you. Maybe you don't want to think about oil supplies -- your life is too busy to worry much about it. It might be easier to set up a contract for oil delivery on a regular basis, every month or every 6 months -- whatever you think you'll need. You can arrange for monthly payments on such contracts, which makes budgeting much easier.

Layalty and Trust

Another advantage of regular contract supplier is that your supplier will come to value your customer loyalty and want to preserve it. What if your tank is awkward to access, or you find impurities in the fuel? It can cost a LOT to repair damage done to your boiler by dodgy kerosene. There's much to be said for using an oil supplier that comes with a good reputation for service and is recommended by friends. Theft of oil -- especially from isolated homes in rural areas -- is another real risk, you want a company you trust to put oil in without spilling it in the garden -- or passing on the details of how easy it is to access your tank to any would-be oil thieves.

Price-Matching

A sneaky way to get some consistency of service and yet still get the cheapest price is to find a regular supplier you like, and ask them to price-match for the lowest price you can find from other suppliers in the area at the time you need the tank filled. From what we can tell, many people are used to negotiating with their regular suppliers.

The Full List

• Price
• Cheapest
• Local
• INTERNET
• Yellow Pages
• By Price
• Cheapest Price
• Online
• Cost
• Usual Supplier
• Local Supplier
• On Line
• Shop Around
• Regular Supplier
• Phone Around
• BoilerJuice
• Recommendation
• Word Of Mouth
• Web
• On Price
• Local Company
• Telephone
• Locality
• Direct Debit
• Ring Around
• Phoning around
• Always Used Them
• Phone Book
• Contract
• Recomendation
• Regular
• Phone Around For Quotes
• Google
• Goff
• Used Before
• Boiler Juice
• BY TELEPHONE
• Previous Supplier
• Local Firms
• Broker
• Price And Locality
• Phone
• Always Had Them
• Nearest
• Long Term Supplier
• Lowest Price
• Boilerjuice.com
• Existing Supplier
• Previous
• Price And Convenience
• LOYALTY
• Prices
• Dont Know
• Phone Around For Best Price
• Use Same One
• Phone Quotes
• Availability
• By Phone
• Previously Used
• Phoning Around For Best Price
• Phoned Round For Best Price
• Research
• Recommended
• Phoning Local Suppliers
• Usual One
• Use The Same One Each Time
• Best Price
• CONVENIENCE
• Same Supplier For Years
• Phoned Around
• By Price On The Day
• Telephone Directory
• Local And Quick
• Compare Prices Locally
• By Ringing Around
• Best Pricing
• Used The Same Local Family-run Company I've Used For Years
• Very Limited Due To Remote Location.I Only Had 3 Suppliers That Would Deliver.You Ask For A Quote,then You Talk To Your Neighbours,see Who They Use,then Decide On The Best Overall Supplier.It Is Not Allway's About The Cheaper Price,but About The Best Serv
• Best Quote While Ringin Round
• Call Around For Cheapest
• By Ringing Round To Find The Best Price
• It Was The Cheapest At The Time
• Use Same One Each Time
• Usual - Boiler Juice
• Same Supplier Each Time
• Village Syndicate
• Used Same One As Usual
• Used Supplier Previous Person In House Used
• Internet To Find Supplier And Then Telephone For Prices
• Repeat Order From Regular Supplier Who Has Proven To Be Very Competitive On Price And Excellent On Delivery And Quality Of Oil
• Never Change
• Price, Delivery Time
• Phoned Round To Get Cheapest Price
• Phoning Round
• Same One I Always Use
• New Customer
• Quotation
• Word Of Mouth Or Internet
• Previous Use
• Boilerjuice.co.uk
• Checking The Best Prices
• Conpare Sites Online
• I Joined A Local Syndicate
• Cheapest Price In Area
• Price And Delivery Day
• On Line Prices
• Best Price On Internet Or Boiler Juice
• Budget Plan
• Cheapest Or Quickest Delivery Time
• Phoning Around Companies
• Ask The Neaghbours
• Useual Supplier
• Same One
• Use Same One Always
• By Googling And Phoning For Quotes From Previous Suppliers
• Same One Every Year
• Ring Round Local Companies For Best Rate
• Habit
• Cheapest Rate
• By Price At The Time
• Price And Quality
• Existing Contract
• Price And Delivery Date
• Nearest With Competative Price
• Cheapest Oil
• Local Retailer
• Internet Price Check
• Usually Use Same Supplier
• Same Supplier Each Time As Good Service
• Ask Locally
• Always With The Same Supplier
• 3 Prices
• Location Nearest
• Use The Same Supplier That Contacted Us When We Moved Into The Property
• Through Village Syndicate
• Pay Monthly For Local Supplier
• Just Same As Previous Owner, But Would Like To Research If It Is Reaaly The Best Price
• Comparing Prices By Phone
• QUOTES BY PHONE
• Ring Around Or Look On The Net
• Internet Quotes
• Goff E. Anglia
• Cheapest Supplier
• On Contract
• Phoned Previous Supplier
• Use A Regular Supplier
• Peart
• Previous Owner Used Them
• By Phone To Check Cheepest Price And Speed Of Delivery
• Tied To Service Contract
• Call 3 Suppliers And Get Best Quote
• Price & Delivery
• Boiler Juice Or Direct From Supplier
• Monthly Budget Account
• Local Supplier Used By Letting Agent
• Proximity To Home
• Incumbant
• Looked On Internet For Good Price
• Telephone Suppliers
• I Don't
• On Line Comparison Or Telephone
• Used Before Tried Diffrent Cheap One
• Local Cheapest For 2000 Litres
• Online Cheapest Option
• Use Brogan Fuels
• Phoned For Quotes
• Regular Supplier But Checked A Few Prices By Phone
• Quality Of Oil
• Use The Same One One
• Compare Site Online
• Online And Phone Quotations
• Have Used Same Supplier For Many Years
• From The Label On The Fuel Tank
• On Direct Debit With Total So Don't Shop Around
• By Price Quotes
• Cheapest Local Supplier
• Current Supplier
• BoilerJuice.com Group Buying. They Group Deliveries To Your Area And Obtain Volumes Disount
• Find The Cheapest
• Price And Availability
• By Calling Round For The Best Price
• By Calling Suppliers
• Online Search
• Normally Phone Around Known Suppliers
• Shopped Around 6 Different Companies And Took The Cheapest Price
• Have Used Before
• See Whose Cheapest
• Gough Petroleum
• Telephone Around
• Search For The Cheapest Supplier On The Internet
• Lowest Cost
• Used The Same One For Years
• Same One Every Time
• Known Local
• CPL
• Club
• TELEPHONE QUOTES
• Shop Around, Best Price
• By Cheapest
• By Previous Suppliers And Quotes
• Cheapest Local One
• Either Through Account With Team Flitwick Or Boilerjuice.com
• Planned Payment Top Up
• BoilJuice Comparison - Always Order From Goff Petroleum When They Agree To What I Want To Pay!
• New House - Used No On Tank
• Local Company Offering Payment Plan
• Phone For Quotes
• CPL Petroleum
• Total
• Chose The Cheapest
• Look For Best Price
• Phone For Prices
• Phone Local Suppliers
• Most Local
• Get Quotes
• Cheapest And Most Reliable
• Usually Stick To The Same Supplier As Have An Account And Have A Budget Payment Plan
• Same As When We Moved In
• Used Same One 9 Years Goff Oil
• Phone Around, Select Cheapest
• By Phoning Around Local Firms
• Comparison Site
• By Existing Monthly Payment Plan
• Yellow Pages Prices
• Account Payment Plan
• Western Fuel
• Oil Co-operative
• Syndicate
• Heating Oil . Co. Uk
• Telephone For 2-3 Quotes
• Cheapest Of Quotes
• By Getting Quotes From Various Suppliers
• I Have An Account
• Phoned Around For Cheapest
• Best Price For 1000 Litres
• Use The Same One
• Ringing Around Local Suppliers For Prices
• From Landlord
• Phone, Get Quotes , Compare To Boiler Juice And Select Cheapest
• Monthly Plan
• STAY WITH SAME ONE
• Local Agent - partly Price
• Local One
• Call Round For Cheapest Price
• By Account
• New House, So Sticker On The Oil Tank
• Boiler Juice On The Net
• We Were Moving So Used Same As The People We Were Buying From. Now Lokking For Cheapest (can You Help)
• Used Supplier Before
• In Yellow Pages
• Check My Usual Suuppliers Price Against Online Quotes and Then Ask For A Better Price
• On Cost
• Closest
• They Were Recommended To Us By The Previous House Owner As They Are Reliable And Trust Worthy
• Name On The Tank
• Previous Owner Recommended
• Bulk Delivery
• THROUGH A FRIEND
• Cheapest Quote
• Regular Order
• Telephone Several Local Companies
• Price Check
• Shop Around Or Same One I Usually Use
• Neighbiour
• Search Engine On Google
• Buy Local But They Dont Give A Good Service
• Hingley & Callow
• Promise Of Quick Delivery
• Locality , Price, Green Credentials
• Price On The Day
• Check On Prices
• Repeat
• Normal Supplier
• Web Searches, And Phone Around
• By Telephoning
• Local Supplier Brogans
• I Used To Phone Around For Quotes Everytime I Filled Up, But I Then Became Aware Of A Sindicate In My Area That Bulk Orders And Gets A Substantial Discount On The Prices I Could Get Alone
• The Nearest
• Usual Supplier Asked To Price Match Lowest Available
• By Price Of 1000litres
• By Reasonable Price Regardless Of The Time Of Year
• Phone Round For The Cheapest
• TOTAL BUTLER
• Usual Supplier Always Gives Best Price
• Normal Supplier - Used For Years
• From Previously Used Ones
• Name Written On Oil Tank
• By Price On The Web
• Historically By A Direct Debit Arrangement
• Regular Price
• Inertia
• Phone For Prices And Go With Cheapest
• Ring Around To Get The Best Price
• Use Only Supplier To Contact Me Since Moving To New Area
• Word Of Mouth And Matching This Supplier - Total Butler - With Others On The Internet
• Price Comparison Sites
• Telephoned Local Suppliers
• Consortium Delivery
• Kept With Existing Supplier
• Best Price Out Of 3
• Phoned Around For The Cheapest
• Ring Two Different Local Firms With Short Wheel Base Lorries
• COMPANY ALWAYS USED
• Local Papers In Essex
• Same As Previous Supplier
• Use Local Supplier
• I Have A Credit Account With Them
• Good Value
• They E-mail To Say There Is A Group Saving
• Ring Around Different Suppliers
• Comparison Of Shortlist
• Time To Pay Bill
• Compared Prices
• Chose 3 Or 4 From Yellow Pages And Went With The Cheapest
• Local And Offers Credit Account
• Cheapest Price And Nearest Delivery Date
• Have Used Supplier In The Past
• Phoned For Price Direct
• Cheapest Deal
• Have Tried Various Suppliers But Found A Better Service From Goff
• Phone Around For Prices
• Always Used The Same One
• Not Sure
• Always Bought From Same Firm
• Pay Baxter Johnston By Direct Debit
• Have Planned Delivery Agreement
• Quality Of Oil (cheap Oil Bought Some Years Ago Resulted In Damage To Boiler) And Cost
• Always Used Same One
• Size Of Tanker
• On Contract To Top Up But Far Too Expensive Now Only Deliver When Asked But Still Pay Monthly Direct Debit
• Choose A Local Supplier From Yellow Pages
• Top-up contract
• Local Suppliers
• Ring Round
• We Have Always Been With The Same Local Supplier But They Are Now Part Of A Bigger Company And Much Less Helpful
• By Locality
• Local Syndicate
• Online Price Checking
• Location
• Regular Supplier Used For Several Years
• Local Paper
• By Checking 3 Suppliers' Prices
• Standing Arrangement
• Convienence
• Internet Search
• Watson
• Local Advert
• Local Supplier Has Been Very Reliable In Past
• Phoned Around Suppliers And Got Cheapest Quote For 1000 Litre
• By Internet
• REGULAR SUPPLIER BUT I STILL SHOP AROUND
• Checking Local Prices (website) And Negotiating With My Usual Supplier
• Go To Usual Supplier And Quote A Cheaper Price That They Then Match
• Tank Access Is A Little Awkward So We Prefer To Use The Same Supplier If Possible
• Check Prices
• I Phone 10 Suppliers And Pick The Cheapest
• Same Suppliers For past 10 years
• Advert
• By Phone Quotes
• Used Usual Supplier
• Local Group
• Lowest Quote with Reasonable Service
• Same One For 30 Years
• Normal One Johnston
• Phone Around For Cheapest Quote
• From The Details On The Tank
• Asking Around
• Cheapest On Day
• Use The Same 1
• Adverts
• Same Supplied For The Last 8 Years
• By Prices
• Cheapest Of 4/5
• Top Up
• Phone Round For Quotes
• Ask For Quotes
• By Comparing Prices
• Call About 5 Suppliers For Cheapest Quote
• Cheapest And That Can Deliver On Saturday
• Ringing Local Suppliers
• Shop Around For Cheapest Quote
• Local Supplier To KY13 9HY
• Via Quotes
• Next Day Delivery Needed
• Tradition
• Via A Oil Quotation
• Same One Each Time
• By Quote
• Friends Advice
• We Have An Automatic Signalman System
• Want Shell Oil
• I Have A Top Up Supplier
• I Have Always Used This Firm
• Up To Now Have Only Used Our Local Supplier; Now Looking Around To Get A Better Deal
• Ringing Round For Best Price
• Net
• Top Up Service
• Telephone For Price
• Must Have Small Tanker
• Have An Account
• RING AROUND FOR QUOTES
• Ringing Round Local Suppliers For Best Price
• Always Use Same Supplier
• Advertising
• By Price Comparison
• Check Prices Online First Then Shop Around By Fone With Local Suppliers
• Telephone Local Suppliers Asking Prices
• Price And Service
• Don't Always Use Same But Would Wish To Shop Around
• Local Recomendation
• Always Use Same
• Cheapest And Good Delivery
• Recommendation From Friends
• Phone Directory
• By Telephone And Cheapest Price
• Have Recently Sacked Total Butler (had DD A/C)
• Now Watch For Boiler Juice E-mails
• Phone Around Every Time
• Mostly Local Firm
• Emo Oil
• LOCAL SUPPLIER BY GETTING A QUOTE
• Use The Same All The Time
• Used Same One For Years
• Phoned Around For Best Price
• POST CODE
• BY PRICE - CHEAPEST
• News
• Online And Phone
• Phone Around For Best Price Off Local Suppliers
• Linton Oil
• I Would Consider Using Other Supliers But I'm A Little Worried About Cheaper Oil; Ive Experienced Poor Water Content In Cheaper Oil In The Past
• I Would Also Like To Join In With Other Locals And Drop The Price That Way
• By Cheapest Price
• Standing Instruction
• By Phoning Re Prices
• We Ring Around To Find The Cheapest
• Rang Round
• Based On Price
• PHONE AROUND LOCAL SUPPLIERS
• 3 Calls 1x 39.9pl 1x35.9pl And 1x34.9ppl For Kerosene
• Pay Monthly
• Tel Local Companies Went With The Company That Gave Me Best Price And Service - Rix Petroleum
• Always The Same
• Local Pages
• Ringing Round Suppliers Localy
• Telephone About 6 Suppliers To Find Cheapest
• Gogle Search And Price Comparison
• Just Keep With Them
• Compared 2 Local Suppliers
• Cost Of Oil And Length Of Pipe
• Account Holder With One Company
• By Phone Selection
• Used Company Before
• Account Holder
• Ring Round for best Price
• Phone 3 Local For Cheapest
• Price And No Surcharges
• Phonebook
• Proximity And Time To Pay
• Phone Around For Lowest Quote
• Local Information
• Competative Quotes
• Existing Suppler
• Same Supplier That Have Contract With
• Whichever is Cheapest
• Check Cheapest Price By Phone
• Always Had Same One
• By Quotation
• Online Cheapest
• Price And Delivery Times
• Cheapest In Our Area
• By Price And Availability
• Same Supplier
• Searching For Best Price
• Phone Around For Cheapest
• Have Stayed With Same Supplier For Years
• Usual
• By Ringing Round
• Haven't Yet
• From Local Suppliers Best Price
• Telephoned Many Local Suppliers To Obtain Best Price
• Local Buying Consortium
• Shop Around For Prices
• Phone For Quote
• Nearest To My Area
• Phone For Cheapest Supplier
• Ring Round For Prices
• Convenient Delivery Times
• Have Always Used The Same One
• Quality & Service
• Always Used The Same
• Price Comparison
• Good Service Before
• Best Price In The Area
• On Internet
• Local Distributor
• Compare Prices By Telephone
• Web Trawl
• GOOD PRICES
• I Use The Same One Consistently
• Nearest To My House
• Locally

2010-03-08 09:00:46 John says: "I always ring around for a price. The worst ones and by far the most expensive to deal with are GB Oils. They have a monopoly now all over the country and squeezing out the competition. They own: Shell Direct, EMO oil, Scottish Fuels, CPL Petroleum, Carlton Fuels, O J Williams, Owens Fuels, Bayford Oil, Brogan Oil, Southern Counties Fuel Oil, Cooke Fuel Cards, Boiler Juice,Team Flitwick. These are only the ones that I know of. There are others also. So remember when you are buying fuel do you really want to get rid of all the competition? When I shopped around for oil today I was quoted over 6p per litre more from this organisation compared with my local supplier."
2010-02-24 03:58:09 Chris Edwards says: "There is a new site that that offers price comparisons instantaneously like Boilerjuice but actually show you who the supplier is. We just bought our oil from a supplier on the site (we're in Belfast) and it was fairly simple to use with no requirement to pay online. http://www.whichoilsupplier.co.uk"
2009-10-08 08:25:34 Rupert Holden says: "I live in Jarrow in the North East, my supplier is www.heatingoil.co.uk who quote pretty cheaply but I tend to phone around and then compare"
2009-10-02 05:20:21 Linda O'sulilvan says: "I rang all my locals in the midlands and went with Rix Petroleum who gave me the best price and best service, their drivers are extremely helpful"