I need to buy some oil for the heating system and being new to France I’m unsure of the best/most reliable option. I’ve seen plenty of suppliers such as fioulmarket, fiolureduc and so on. They all have many terrible reviews which puts me off. There are also the supermarkets, Carrefour, E.LeClerc and so on. Then we have the big boys like TotalEnergies. Prices I have seen so far are not hugely different (super expensive and very volatile of course) but I’m more concerned about actually getting the stuff within a week or so.
I’m seeking input from those who have current experience buying heating oil please.
We buy ours via the Mairie… they ring around the neighbours, then place a bulk order with a supplier in the nearest town and households take delivery, (generally the next week) pay direct on the day, and benefit from discounted/bulk price. (…been doing this for years)
Perhaps your neighbours can advise what is best in your own area…
I believ Auchan is a good supplier, but they are too far from us…
We buy our fioul ordinaire from our village, family owned garage. Being a two minute walk away is convenient and they keep their prices competitive. Same day delivery (one day, the tanker beat OH back to the house as he headed for home after ordering and paying As Stella suggests, ask your neighbours or the Mairie. It’s good wherever possible to support the local businesses.
We always use our local independent supplier who is very competitive on price. He has to live in this community as well, and so takes care not to rip people off.
Yes my neighbour did the same, ditched LeClerc after years with them and went with the independent from the next village, he was a lot cheaper as less distance to come.
An old topic but I thought I should complete it! Thanks for all the advice and input, all very useful. In fact I don’t have a “local supplier”, the mairie does not have a recommended supplier and I ended up using CPO (Total Energies). Their price on the day was competitive, the service was very efficient and I even got a free calendar
Talking to a friend who lives in Perigueux… she is the only one in her cul-de-sac who heats with oil… thus no possibility of bulk-buying… and her income is too high for the “aid”.
Meanwhile, today, one of our Adjointes mentioned to me that she will be ordering oil for the School and the Mairie… and would I like to go on “the list” … (yes please… 500 litres).
fingers crossed the price won’t be too awful.
I have a brand new fioul heater in a box, looks like a kerosene heater, that we’ve had for some time.
Having gone onto Tempo I want to fire it up to test it (and try to remember from my childhood how to light it if there’s no instruction manual in the box), and keep it as a reserve for red days.
There are 2 big canisters of fioul beside it which have never been opened. But they must be 10 years old. If it was petrol it would have gone off in 3-6 months - is fioul the same?
As Stella suggests, ask your neighbours or the Mairie. It’s good wherever possible to support the local businesses.