About Emergency Oil

Some service stations sell 20 litre containers of kerosene that you can use should you need oil in a hurry.

These containers are labelled "emergency oil" and it is not difficult to see why - they can retail at twice the price per litre than what a distributor might charge.

Considering that the average price per litre in October 2008 was 47p a litre (for orders of 900 litres) and that included a supplier making a profit and a driver delivering it and filling your tank for you then £1 a litre for a diy plastic container can seem excessive.

However, for around £20 (October 2008 quote), a 20 litre container can keep your home warm while you wait for your delivery to arrive. When you can be charged £15 to have your boiler bled should you need it after running out completely then shelling out £10 more for oil might not be so bad. 

Please remember that the prices quoted here are an example only at the time the article was written and will vary.