Americans 'save on heating oil' by buying together

12 October 2006

Friends, neighbours and co-workers in an American neighbourhood are clubbing together to buy domestic heating oil at a cut price by negotiating with oil companies, according to the Associated Press.

The group in Maine contacted oil providers to find the best deal and came away with quotes charging between 20 and 30 cents per gallon less than the price a resident would pay if they were purchasing heating oil alone.

A group has been set up in the area under the name of Donkey Card LLC which negotiates offers of discounts for heating oil when residents buy together.

The group's director told the Associated Press: "Oil goes through everything and affects the entire economy," adding that the more "squeezed" people became, the more they would band together to save money on energy bills.

According to independent online heating oil service Boiler Juice, which provides a similar facility, customers can receive discounts on their heating oil costs if they group together with others and buy in bulk.