NOWHERE has the rising cost of energy been felt more than in rural areas where choice of heating is limited.

Most communities have to rely on often expensive heating oil to warm their homes because they are not connected to the main grid.

With colder temperatures just around the corner this can put people under even more strain, particularly those on fixed incomes such as the elderly who are already struggling to make ends meet.

But one Worcestershire community has joined forces to help residents save money on their heating bills, while also providing much more besides.

The Pebworth Oil Buying Club boasts 170 members and draws on villages within a 15 mile radius.

They place around 11 orders a year of between 30,000 and 70,000 litres, with each person saving on average around £30 an order compared to if they did it alone.

But it is not just the financial benefits. Club manager Ken Wood takes particular interest in members who may need extra help and support with managing their heating oil needs – for example elderly people on a fixed income, removing the stress of having to shop around for the best prices.

Mr Wood said: “The club has become an important part of the social network in the communities it supports. It’s an active conduit for information about what’s on, upcoming events and village matters. It even acts as a noticeboard to advertise items for sale and local services.”

Another community to have signed up is SeSaME Oil Buying Club (Sedgeberrow Sustainable and Manageable Energy), managed by Mike Parker. Based in Sedgeberrow, it covers an area to the south west of Evesham with a growing list of 130 members. Villages in the area with members in the scheme include Ashton under Hill, Beckford, Dumbleton, Wormington, Hinton, and Aston Sommerville.

Earlier this year Mr Wood, who has been running the group for 22 years, signed up to have the scheme managed by the Oil Buying Club – a new venture created by former Waterstones managing director Gerry Johnson and his business partner Julian Jantke, who are based in Oxford.

The Oil Buying Club is completely independent of oil suppliers and is dedicated to using technology to help reduce the cost of living in rural communities.

Mr Johnson said: “Our reasons for starting the Oil Buying Club were simple; we wanted to help people lower the cost of heating oil and we wanted to support the dozens of club managers across the UK who ran community oil buying groups.

“I have been an oil user for several decades. Five years ago, I found and joined my local oil buying club and I have never looked back. Our club manager takes the hard work out of finding the best prices and the combination of his research and the buying power a club order generates has meant the club prices are always significantly lower than I could achieve on my own, often more than 10 per cent.

“But there are also environmental and social benefits. Fewer tankers means lower costs but it also gives rise to lower CO2 emissions and fewer trucks on narrow rural roads.

“We now have a system that’s being used by over a thousand consumers with more joining all the time. It’s taken some time to develop but we are proud of the way it makes life better for everyone.”

Once they join up, members receive email notifications of club orders and adding their own requirements can be done from a PC, tablet or smartphone.

The club leader will then supply details of price, delivery and supplier, acting as a point of contact throughout the process.

For more information visit www.oilbuyingclub.com