The snow and ice that covered the United Kingdom over Christmas has left many people without oil. Thousands of customers were left unreachable because of the extremely hazardous road conditions and oil suppliers were completely unprepared for the way the weather hit many parts of the country.
The cold winter months are already a really tough time for many pensioners around the country. But for many to be without oil at this time could be deadly. But even those customers who had ordered their oil before the cold weather set in were forced to wait for over a month for their oil.
Mrs Clare Stott, 87, from Woodstock was one of those pensioners left without oil. Mrs. Stott ordered her oil before the snow fell but was left waiting as the delivery trucks could not reach her. She could have found herself in serious bother if not for kind neighbour Chris Pomfrett. Mr. Pomfrett is an energy consultant and managed to get hold of a barrel of heating oil for Mrs. Stott which held 25 litres. But Mrs. Stott is just one of thousands of rural customers who have been left without oil during the freezing weather. It has become almost impossible for many homes to be reached due to the treacherous road conditions.
Mr. Pomfrett actually runs an oil buying group which offers customers discounts on oil. His not-for-profit business helps hundreds of customer’s access cheaper oil. He has blamed oil companies for the lack of support provided to their most helpless customers. He suggested that smaller amounts of oil could have been sent to the most needy customers if the oil companies had used 4×4 trucks.
There are other needy customers as well as pensioners who have been left in misery due to oil delays. There are hundreds of customers who are ill or with tiny babies who can not afford to be without their source of heat at this time. But oil companies have said they are doing all they can to prioritise customers in most need.
Heating ones home in the cold months of winter can cost a fair packet. Gas and electricity are very expensive today, with no signs of prices coming down. Savvy people are changing over to oil as a home fuel though. And when this happens they have to ensure the tanks re always full of heating oil to make sure they don’t run dry in the cold weather.
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