Planning for you heating oil payment might take a little more thought than other types of fuel. Plus there is always the worry that if you don’t plan correctly, you could get hit with a surprise bill, which is far from ideal, especially in the colder months around Christmas.
But that’s why it’s important to understand the different ways that you can pay. This is especially valuable if you have just moved into a house with an oil tank for the first time.
One of the great things about heating oil, is that it doesn’t have to be a monthly expense if you don’t want it to be. You can pay for it as and when you need it, or you can pay monthly to ensure you always have money set aside – whatever works for you. But either way, it’s important to know the options to help you budget.
In this blog, we’ll look at the different ways to pay at Carnegie fuels; however, these are payment options that are available at most fuel suppliers.
What are the different payment options for heating oil?
We know that budgeting for fuel is something no one really wants to do, that’s why we believe in being as flexible as possible when it comes to payment.
These are the three options that are available from Carnegie Fuels Ltd (most other suppliers will offer similar options):
- Order & pay online (upfront payment)
- Order & pay via phone (upfront payment)
- Monthly payment plan (via direct debit)
1. Order & pay online (upfront payment)
If speaking to an actual human sounds like your idea of hell (or just something you’ve not got time for), then this will be right up your street.
At Carnegie we offer the option to order and pay for your heating oil online.
Just visit our order fuel page, and fill in the form details. Once you’ve done that, hit the get quote button, and you’ll automatically be given prices for three different delivery options: 7 day; 3 day and next day delivery (not available after 3pm).
Choose whatever one suits you and you’ll be redirected to a page to complete the order. You can pay for this using a credit or debit card. It’s all paid for upfront, and your oil will be delivered within the allocated time.
2. Order and pay via phone (upfront payment)
If you would like to pay for your heating fuel up front, but would rather the security of speaking to a real human, then we can help with that too.
Our team is available to call on 01356 648 648. We’ll place your order, take your card details and process the payment via phone. The fuel payment is taken care of in advance and all that’s left to do is wait for the delivery.
Contact us to arrange your fuel delivery
4. Monthly payment plan (via direct debit)
Even though a fuel distributor may offer highly competitive prices, filling up your oil tank can come as an unwelcome expense. At one point or another you may be caught short, and putting some money away every month can help avoid an unexpected bill.
To help people manage the cost of oil deliveries, many suppliers, including Carnegie, offer monthly payment options. Rather than paying a lump sum just before or after the fuel delivery you can contribute routinely towards a saving fund by monthly direct debit. This allows you to build up a balance by paying an allotted amount per month (this is based on an estimated refill cost). This balance can then be used towards oil deliveries.
This option may be especially attractive if you are used to living in a home with gas heating, as the payment is usually automatically debited from your account on a monthly basis. You will still have to remember and order the oil, but this way the payment will routinely be taken care of, with no need for larger outlays.
You can organise your payment plan and subsequent deliveries by calling us on 01356 648 648. This way we can review the amount you are paying with each order, and ensure you are paying the right amount for your usage.
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Does a payment plan affect the overall cost of heating oil?
A payment plan is one of the things that can affect the overall cost of heating oil in Scotland. Most heating oil suppliers will reward clients that sign up to a payment plan in a bid to incentivise loyalty. This isn’t just via monetary incentives, but can include things like priority deliveries in times of fuel shortages or bad weather.
It is worth noting that these discounts are not usually taken into consideration on fuel price comparison sites, nor are all suppliers listen on comparison websites. Yes, we may sound a little biased, as we generally recommend that you buy direct from an oil supplier rather than via a comparison site. But, it is not in fuel comparisons best interests to keep you with one supplier, as they make a commission each time a customer switches supplier (via their site).
Joining on a payment plan can allow you to buy via a local, reliable supplier who really cares about you, while still taking advantage of the best price possible. So, not only can a payment plan help you budget your oil better, it can also reduce the price per delivery.
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How to budget for your heating oil…
For some, this will be like teaching you to suck eggs. You might be a pro at budgeting for household expenses and oil is just another one to add to the list.
But for others, budgeting for fuel payments can be a worry. Especially if you are used to living in a home with mains gas and don’t have to worry about lump sum payments. As above, a monthly payment plan can be a good way to manage this.
But it’s also important to know how often your tank needs filled up as this will affect how much on average you are paying in a year, and how you are best to budget for this.
This is likely to be different based on every household, as it will depend on the size of your tank, how many people are in your household and things like how many showers and baths you are taking. Based on this you should be able to figure out approximately how long you are getting in between each refill, and how much each refill will be.
For some, regular monthly payments make sense to keep lump sum costs down. But for others, one of the other payment plans will make more sense based on how much oil you are using.
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In summary: How can I pay for my heating oil?
Even though there are many affordable suppliers, paying for your heating is an expense. But it’s one that can be managed via multiple payment options depending on your circumstances and your preference.
All four of the above payment options are available via Carnegie fuels. Visit our domestic fuel page for more information or to put in an order.
