Community Impact Bucks is the independent charity which provides comprehensive support services to other charities, community groups, social enterprises and rural organisations throughout Buckinghamshire. It is also the Volunteer Centre for Buckinghamshire, helping members of the public to get involved in community activity. How can we help you today?

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Community Impact Bucks Launches New Community Oil Buying Scheme

9 January 2012

The scheme, which has just been launched, is aimed at bringing communities together to make the most of joint buying power so that greater savings can be made and passed on to customers.


We want the scheme to be rooted in communities - because that's the way Community Impact Bucks  works - and are looking for local volunteers who will act as ‘go-betweens' for us. Their job will be to tell us each month how much oil the people in their village want to order, and then telling people when the oil will arrive and how much it will cost. ‘We've made it as simple as possible because we know people are busy' said  Cora Carvey ‘Local co-ordinators won't have to do the negotiating with the oil suppliers and won't have to deal with any money, so we don't expect this to take much time'.

Community Impact Bucks believe that finding a way to keep fuel costs as low as possible is particularly important in rural areas, where many households don't have mains gas. Research commissioned by our national Rural Community Council Network has shown that in Buckinghamshire, more than half the people who live in fuel poverty (i.e. with fuel costs that are more than 10% of their income) live in rural areas. This is out of proportion to the number of people who actually live in rural areas (34%). We don't think that's right.

By communities coming together and ordering through the oil buying scheme, they are greatly reducing the number of tanker journeys that have to be made through their villages.  This is not only better for the environment it also reduces the wear-and-tear on village roads. 

The scheme will also help to reduce the carbon footprint of the actual delivery system.  Every time a tanker comes out to make a delivery, it's using a lot of fuel, a full tanker may only get about 8 miles per gallon! So if deliveries are organised so that one tanker can reach as many customers in as small an area as possible, the fuel consumption is reduced.

Full details of how the scheme works are set out in two leaflets - one for local community co-ordinators, and one for members of the scheme available here.

For more details telephone 0845 389 0389 or email communityoilbuying@communityimpactbucks.org.uk

Community Impact Bucks is looking for local co-ordinators to help run its new community bulk-buying scheme for domestic heating oil.

 

 

9th January 2012

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