Northamptonshire ACRE is delighted to announce the launch of a new venture that we hope will be good for you, good for the environment and good for Northamptonshire ACRE.
WHAT’S THE SCHEME?
Northamptonshire ACRE will be using the model of a local buying syndicate for domestic heating oil and rolling it out across the county. We believe there will be great strength in harnessing the purchasing power of the many rural communities who are without mains gas so that together, oil-buyers will be able to make significant savings. Experience has already shown that it’s possible to get a discount of around £50 on a single order. And since the scheme is only in its infancy, we see no reason why we can’t improve on that. There are other benefits too – reduced carbon footprint (yes, really), a move towards renewable energy sources and a contribution to funds to support Northamptonshire.
WHY IS NORTHAMPTONSHIRE ACRE DOING THIS?
As a publicly funded charity, we know that there will be difficult times ahead and we want to safeguard our future and our ability to advise and support rural communities across Northamptonshire. Our aim is that not only will we help households to save money – especially important in Northamptonshire’s rural areas where we know there is far greater ‘fuel poverty’ than in our urban areas – but we will also be able to generate some income for Northamptonshire ACRE. And you can be entirely confident that this is not a scam – it’s simply about bulk-buying.
AREN’T THERE LOTS OF SYNDICATES ALREADY IN EXISTENCE?
Yes. We don’t know exactly how many but there are some communities who have been doing this locally for some while. We have no wish to take any schemes over – but if that local purchasing power can be scaled up to something much bigger, then everyone will benefit. And for communities who don’t yet have a local scheme, this provides an easy way for you to get one, with very little work.
WHAT ARE YOU ASKING OF ME?
We are an organisation that is rooted in local community action, and we want to run the scheme in a way that reflects this philosophy. So we are looking for local people to play a part in getting things off the ground and helping it to grow.
The key to making this work will be having a network of community co-ordinators who are willing to collate local members’ monthly oil orders and pass them on to us, and who will then let the local members know the cost per litre and the delivery date. That’s pretty much it. No negotiating oil prices, no handling money. For doing this, you will get FREE membership of the scheme – an annual saving of £20. We know that our newsletter readers are keen and active participants in local community life and your local networks and contacts will be important – the more members the scheme has, the stronger the buying power! We hope you will be willing to take on this very modest role so that we can get up and running in your village.
INTERESTED? NOT INTERESTED?
If you think this could be of interest to you or your community, get in touch with us on 01604 765888 or email: oil@northantsacre.org.uk
If you aren’t interested yourself but can think of someone who might be, please pass the information on. We’ll be happy to answer any questions.
Please note that this is not an online application. If you cannot print this form please contact us and we will send you one in the post.
