Is BoilerJuice moving towards a monthly payment scheme ?
Boilerjuice has asked its customers to comment on the idea of moving towards a monthly payment scheme. In their blog they say:
“Gas and electricity suppliers do something similar; phone providers do it and now BoilerJuice could be doing it too… if you’d like us to. Basically, the plan would be for you to pay for your heating oil on a monthly payment basis so you build up a ‘bank’ of savings to go towards each heating oil purchase.”
This option could be appealing to customers who are wary of committing to a monthly payment scheme with a specific supplier. If Boilerjuice can sell it correctly, ie that the customer will always get the cheapest prevailing price when making an order, then it could even lure customers away from supplier payment schemes.
July 6th, 2010 at 10:12 pm
at first sounds good, however aren’t boilerjuice now owned by gb oils? surely that would mean that you were setting up a monthly payment with them?
July 6th, 2010 at 11:13 pm
Hi Brynwr
Yes, you are correct that BoilerJuice was bought from Chandlers by GB Oils, which is itself part of DCC. I don’t think the general public who buy heating oil are aware of this and it is not made clear on the Boilerjuice website.
I presume that non DCC oil companies still use Boilerjuice so the question is whether the payment scheme includes all oil suppliers who use Boilerjuice or is restricted to GB Oils’ subsidiaries only, thereby keeping the money within the Group.
I doubt we will ever be told but if someone from GB Oils or DCC would like to comment, we would welcome clarification
November 17th, 2010 at 03:53 pm
It is generally considered to be not a good idea. If you are locked into a supplier you lose the control to negotiate.
But with BoilerJuice, DCC, owning GB Oils (subsidiary of DCC) trade as Shell Direct, Emo, CPL Petroleum, Carlton Fuels, Scottish Fuels, Martindale Fuels, Imperial, UK Fuels, Town & Country Fuels, W Eves, Brett Fuels, Charter Fuels, Townson Bros, Haven Fuels, W H Bowes, TT Fuels, Noble Fuels, Anmer Oils, Black Cat Fuels, Suffolk County Fuels, Grampian Fuels, Owen Fuels, OJ Williams, Team Flitwick, Bates & Hunt Petroleum, James D Johnson, Southern Counties Fuels, Baxter Johnston Oils, Bayford Oils, Jackson Fuels, Speed Fuel Oils, Pearts, Brogan Holdings, the Gulf brand, Cooke Fuel Cards, heatingoil.co. And Flogas too. It kind of makes you wonder who is actually still independent and competitive.
Does this mean that DCC will also be looking at buying Total Butler?? Should there not some kind of government control i.e. monopolies commission or some kind of price fixing investigation into DCC?
January 17th, 2011 at 01:42 am
I am looking for examples of people who have been hit by the claims that prices have been artificially raised. Particularly staff who realise they are involved and aware of the morality of activities which leave local community members in difficulty.
January 17th, 2011 at 01:58 pm
Hello mikvr - can I suggest you provide more information about yourself if you want staff to come forward ? I am aware that you are a former BBC reporter but I think anyone who talks to you will want to do so in confidence and therefore will want to email you rather than post on this blog.
regards
Chris (Editor of oilsupplier.co.uk)
January 23rd, 2011 at 10:00 pm
Hello mikvr have a look at this site
http://dcc-gboil.blogspot.com/