A CHARITY says it has seen a huge level of interest since launching a scheme to help rural communities beat rising oil prices by buying in bulk.

The Oxfordshire Rural Community Council (ORCC) has 250 people signed up to the scheme launched in January.

Many rural homes use heating oil stored in on-site tanks because their village is not on a gas mains.

The charity’s scheme, based on economies of scale, saves about four pence a litre – as much as £50 a tank.

The scheme is proving so successful that it is to be rolled out across all of England’s 38 rural community councils.

Linda Watson, chief executive of the ORCC, based at Worton, near Witney, said: “We launched the scheme just before Christmas and I have to say it really is a peach of a concept.

“The price of oil varies from day to day, even hour to hour and many of the thousands of people in Oxfordshire’s villages who are not on mains gas are really struggling to meet the cost of heating their homes.

“We go to the oil companies on behalf of the groups of villagers and negotiate the best price for them.”

A March order for 34,000 litres came in at 56.99p a litre compared to an average market price of 61.5p.

She said: “This is a win, win situation for everybody, as we get the best price for the customers, the oil companies reduce their costs because they have to send out less tankers on separate deliveries, and therefore the environment gains too.”

A £20 administration fee covers the charity’s costs and volunteers and ORCC volunteers are approaching villagers to join.

Lionel Cooper, 82, who is co-ordinating orders for 29 homes in the Shillingford Hill retirement park, near Wallingford, said: “We’ve saved people up to 10p a litre, and with the cold winters we’ve had we’ve needed all the help we can get. Finding £500 every six months or so to buy oil is hitting people really hard and you have to pay interest if you want to pay for your fuel in instalments.”

And ORCC has big plans to expand the scheme into sustainable energy. Mrs Watson said: “Our work is very much about sustainability, as well as keeping people out of fuel poverty, and if people can get together to bulk buy oil, they can also bulk buy solar panels.”

To join the scheme or become a volunteer, contact: 01865 883488 or email orcc@oxonrcc.org