Don’t put ordering your heating oil at the bottom of your Christmas list
With December just round the corner, Christmas is now only 6 weeks away and the festive season will be here before you know it. There’s always a long list of things to do, from buying and wrapping presents, shopping for food, decorating your home and planning your menu to name but a few. Whether or not you’re a big fan of the festive season, it pays to be prepared and not leave everything until last minute so that you can look forward to what many consider to be the most wonderful time of the year, and when the big day arrives, you can enjoy yourself without feeling stressed and panicky.
A great idea is to make a ‘to-do’ list, and top of that list and one thing you can tick-off early is to order your Christmas top-up of home heating oil to ensure you and your guests are kept warm and cozy over the festive period. In this blog we’re going to look at why you should order your heating oil early and what you can do to ensure you’re all ready for a nice snug Christmas.
Plan ahead and order in plenty of time:
Whilst we’ve all just experienced one of the UK’s hottest and driest summers, with the summer of 2022 entering the climate record books as the first time that the UK has hit an air temperature above 40 degrees Celsius, with Christmas comes cold days, and colder nights. Ordering your domestic heating oil outside of peak times can reduce the chance of paying higher prices. As the countdown to Christmas gets into full swing, demand for kerosene heating oil always increases, and when everyone starts ordering fuel at the same time, this increased demand usually results in prices going up. Ordering your Christmas delivery of heating oil early can save you money, which has never been more important than this year with the on-going cost of living crisis.
And with increased demand can come longer lead times. Whilst many domestic heating oil suppliers do offer emergency deliveries, these usually come at an additional cost. It’s also important to remember that urgent deliveries are not always possible at busy times. The last thing anyone wants is to run out of home heating oil at Christmas! So we’d urge you to pop and check the oil level of your heating oil tank and top-up now if you have room. Don’t leave it too late to order and incur unnecessary emergency delivery charges – there’s nothing worse than running out when you need it most. Let’s face it, none of us want to be shivering while we open our Christmas pressies or tuck into the turkey!
Keeping an eye on your domestic heating oil level is important all year round, but especially in the winter months. Our OilFox smart monitor is an easy way to keep an eye on your fuel level 24/7 – it’s simple to use, simple to install, and constantly monitors your oil level. And if your fuel level’s getting low, it sends an alert to your phone so you know it’s time to top your central heating oil tank up.
And there’s our automatic refilling service, which comes as part of our Premium Package* and provides convenience and the peace of mind that you’ll never run out of home heating oil. It comes with priority deliveries, a 2 pence per litre discount on every heating oil delivery, and an upgrade to our more efficient and economical Premium Heating oil.
Get ready for Christmas with simple maintenance and efficiency checks:
With so much on your mind in the run up to Christmas, one important thing to think about is making sure your oil central heating system is in good repair, your heating oil boiler isn’t likely to break down, your heating oil tank won’t spring a leak over the festive season, or your fuel won’t become contaminated with water. Over time boilers can become less efficient, and tanks can crack or develop other problems. Regular maintenance is the key here and getting your boiler serviced is a really wise move.
Oil heating engineers are busy people, but can be especially difficult to get hold of over the Christmas period so now’s a good time to check when you last had your boiler serviced. If it’s now due, we would always recommend you have the service done by an OFTEC registered heating oil engineer. But if your boiler does lock out over Christmas, we have some handy tips on what you need to know and what to do to solve boiler lockout.
Dodge the showers and have a wander out to your tank to look for cracks, corrosion, bulges or anything else that could indicate a potential problem with your heating oil tank. Whilst your engineer will check your tank as part of your boiler service, it’s a good idea to get into the habit of checking round it on a regular basis. Check our recent blog for more information on how to look after your central heating oil tank and what to look out for. Or read about whether it is a good time to buy your heating oil.
If you’re over 75 or vulnerable, sign up for our Cold Weather Priority scheme:
Although customers on our Premium Package are already treated as a priority, if you are 75 or over, vulnerable, or live with someone who is, you can sign up as a Cold Weather Priority customer. It’s completely free and easy to do, and ensures we know to prioritise your deliveries, particularly at times of extreme weather conditions or extra demand. Just give us a call on 01423 770 666.
Take a look at our recent blog for more advice on energy support available to you whether on mains gas or are off-grid.
Create a Christmas spending budget:
Christmas can be an expensive time, so creating a Christmas budget (and sticking to it) is an important part of Christmas planning and making sure you don’t overspend. We can help you budget for your home heating oil – our Flexi Saver Plan can help ease your financial burden in these unprecedented times. As the name suggests, it’s flexible – you can save as much or as little each month towards your next heating oil bill with the freedom to change the amount you save if your circumstances change. View our Flexi Saver Plan page to find out more.
If you do require a delivery of domestic heating oil, just give us a call on 01423 770 666 and we’ll be happy to provide you with a competitive quote, or alternatively get a quote here.
We hope these tips will help you plan ahead, and that a bit of planning will ensure yours is a warm, relaxing and stress-free Christmas.
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