30/01/2011: A piece submitted by villager John Evans

Looking for cheap Heating Oil? Beware – the Sunday Times and others have lifted the lid on a racket. DCC a Dublin based group has been buying up local oil companies in UK and may have as much as 45% of the UK market. Most of the acquired companies continue to trade under their old name - so you don't know that it is a DCC company. In the first half of December 2010 domestic heating oil prices went from 45p/l to 70p/l, a 56% rise – largely driven, it is thought, by DCC dominance. In the same time the commodities price of heating oil rose from 40p/l to 42 p/l, a 5% rise. It now emerges the website - www.Boilerjuice.com – that appears to be an independent consumer-focused outfit and claims to find the cheapest oil in your area, is actually OWNED by DCC – and lists only DCC companies as suppliers. Boilerjuice.com is not an independent consumer website – but a part of a “sophisticated” DCC marketing scheme. I have tried to identify DCC oil suppliers in the locality and believe that the following companies are owned by DCC –

• Team Flitwick ** 
• Town & Country 
• CPL Petroleum Ltd 
• G E Stevens
• EMO Oil
• Pace **

In my experience the best way to find cheap oil is to make a list of local suppliers – above excepted – and phone around them to get today’s price. I did this in early December got a spread of prices from 51p/l to 70p/l – on one day. John Evans

August 2011: Flitwick has been deleted from the original Bulk Oil Buying Scheme as they have not demonstrated any interest in further participation. Sweetfuels remains on the list (see details below) as they have demonstrated a willingness to negotiate, are privately-owned and regularly deliver to customers in the Parish.