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A FRUSTRATED resident has joined calls for tighter regulations on oil companies after being forced to pay double for an emergency delivery.
With the early onset of winter and plunging temperatures causing chaos on the roads, extra heating oil has been in high demand, companies have faced a huge backlog of deliveries and residents have run out unexpectedly.
Dawn Osmotherley, 45, from Swarland, ran dry on December 13 and was facing a freezing Christmas when she was told a delivery could take up to four weeks.
Fortunately, she was able to arrange an emergency delivery.
But Dawn, who lives with her husband, had to pay £1.25 a litre for just 75 litres to keep her going.
She wouldn’t reveal the company supplying it for fear of putting future deliveries in jeopardy.
“In November, it was 44p. When I placed an order on December 13 it was 65p, but I paid 125p for what is going to last about two weeks. It is triple what I normally pay.
“We’ve only got the heating on for three hours in the morning and three hours in the evening to try to conserve it and in case the pipes freeze,” she said.
“Everybody, even those who have half a tank, are rationing it because they don’t want to run out.
“We are waiting for a delivery of 1,000 litres which they said would be about four weeks. The 75 litres isn’t even a tenth of a tank.”
She added: “We’ve got an electric heater in the living room, we’re not the worst off. We normally fill up at the beginning of winter and then half-way through but it has just caught us out.
“I would like to see more transparency for the costs of oil and the price increase coming from it. It should be regulated like gas and electricity is. You just wonder if companies are profiteering.”
Another family who live in rural north Northumberland went 14 days without oil. They have been using a coal-fired stove in the kitchen and a combination of electric and open fires to heat the house.
“We were originally told by Brett Fuels that there was a 600-delivery backlog a fortnight ago and by the end of the same day that had risen to 700,” they said. “It is a nightmare. But it does show you how reliant we have become on central heating at the flick of a switch.
“It also shows how reliant we are on the oil companies and can be held to ransom at times like this. It is dreadful how much some companies are charging over the odds – it is pure profiteering.
“We are not convinced that the automatic Watchman system which warns oil companies when the supply is running low is being used entirely properly.
“When you have one fitted, you are completely at the behest of the oil company who can deliver when the price is right for them.”
Brett Fuels said it has been severely affected by the recent bad weather and is still struggling to reach many of its customers.
The company currently has a backlog of around three weeks and is having to prioritise customers, based on need. Customers who are about to run out or are vulnerable are given the highest priority.
Barry Stoker, regional manager for Brett, said councils should accept some of the blame for the situation. He said ice and snow had not been cleared from minor roads and estates preventing tankers getting to customers.
“The councils have abandoned the side roads. As soon as we turn off the main roads the estates are treacherous. We have already lost one tanker in Lincoln – it is amazing no one has been injured yet.”
“We have made 20 litre drums available, which customers can pick up from a local depot and the drivers have worked during the weekend to ease the situation. We are also making sure that as many customers as possible get oil deliveries by increasing the number of small load (500 litre) deliveries.”
Mr Stoker also denied that Brett were using the Watchman early-warning device to the company’s advantage.
“When the gauge reaches two we will ring the customer to discuss delivery times and oil prices before we deliver,” he said.
Rix Petroleum North East, another oil supplier in north Northumberland said it has been delivering every day during the bad weather with tankers having to be pulled out of snowy situations.
He added that prices for oil have increased and the company is making a profit but they will not charge extra for emergency deliveries.
Managing director Rory Clarke said the company also has 25 litre drums of oil available to buy at its depot at Rashercap but supplies are running low. Normally the company would sell 20 drums around Christmas time, so far this year it has sold 1,500.
Berwick Lib Dem MP Sir Alan Beith has also waded in to help alleviate the problems.
Sir Alan said: “We are experiencing the coldest December for years, with heavy snow making life even more difficult. Many homes in rural Northumberland depend on oil for their heating and hot water and it is vital that supplies be delivered quickly.”
An arrangement has been put in place for suppliers to tell the Highways Department where they intend to deliver, so access roads can be treated in advance of tankers trying to make deliveries.
Suppliers should contact the council to provide information on their proposed routes by emailing ask@northumberland.gov.uk or calling 0845 600 6400. The Federation of Petroleum Suppliers has told Sir Alan’s office that suppliers should follow their Code of Practice During Abnormal Weather/Supply Conditions
