A scheme to bulk-buy heating oil that has saved Oxfordshire residents tens of thousands of pounds is being rolled out across England.

Launched in 2010 by Oxfordshire Rural Community Council and Chris Pomfret, who runs Community Buying unLimited, the partnership has already saved people more than £70,000, as a result of them clubbing together to buy heating oil.

Now the win-win initiative is set to bring in extra money for the community council, a registered charity, after the scheme was packaged up and sold as a franchise to similar bodies.

So far, 19 of the 37 other rural community partnerships in England have bought into the scheme.

About 600 Oxfordshire households pay a fee of £20 a year to be part of the co-operative and place their fuel orders through a local co-ordinator.

Mr Pomfret, from Wootton, near Woodstock, then negotiates a price with oil companies.

And because he is buying in bulk, now about 400,000 litres per order, he gets the best possible price.

Linda Watson, chief executive of the ORCC, said: “There are so many benefits to the scheme. Environmentally, it reduces the carbon footprint of road tankers, as an oil supplier goes to a community once.

“People are saving money and it’s advantageous for oil suppliers, as it’s saving them transport costs and they’re also getting customers handed to them on a plate.

“We’re doing the marketing for them and sorting the logistics.

“It has been great and very rewarding. We have still got other councils coming back to me wanting to join.”

Mr Pomfret, who was running an oil-buying syndicate for fellow residents in Wootton, saw the potential for expanding the service, and approached the community council.

Last year the scheme bought 662,000 litres of oil, and that figure is only set to rise.

Ms Watson said: “Although my intention had been to demonstrate this could work in Oxfordshire, it became clear it could be replicated in other counties.

“What we did was package it up into a franchise and made it available.

“Chris now negotiates on behalf of all the rural community councils.”

She said since November last year the Oxfordshire partnership had been negotiating on behalf of nine other community councils as well.

Ms Watson said: “They’re now at the point of starting, and as a consequence our buying power is getting greater all the time.

“We’re beginning to see real income coming into ORCC to support our charitable aims in working with the community and supporting village halls, shops, community transport and activities. That’s what’s important.”

Banbury MP Tony Baldry said: “I think it’s a brilliant scheme, which enables people to come together and be confident they can purchase heating oil at the most competitive price at the time.”

news@oxfordmail.co.uk l For more information about the scheme, see oxonrcc.org.uk l There are 250 free one-year memberships of the scheme currently available to vulnerable households. For more details, email oil@oxonrcc.org.uk or call 01865 883488