Local heating oil delivery round

Rural homeowners, landlords, holiday-let owners and small rural businesses that heat with oil.

You earn a margin on each litre sold, so the more litres you deliver per drop and per mile, the better it works. Extras can include fixed-price plans, tank monitoring and sludge or tank-cleaning referrals.

• Safe, confident tanker driving
• Route planning and scheduling
• Managing cash flow and stock purchases
• Dealing with customers who need fuel urgently

• Carrying fuel by road may need ADR dangerous goods driver training and the right vehicle equipment, so check the current rules
• Vehicles over a certain weight may need a goods vehicle operator's licence, so check with the Traffic Commissioner
• Metering equipment is usually subject to Trading Standards weights and measures rules, so check what applies
• Check whether you need to register with HMRC for fuel duty or rebated fuel rules
• Spills are costly, so you need specialist motor and pollution/environmental liability insurance as well as public liability
• Prices swing and you carry the stock cost, so cash flow can be tight and demand peaks in winter
• Check your local council and the Environment Agency (or the equivalent body in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland) about where you can store fuel and park the tanker

Startup costs are typically around £30,000 to £90,000, depending on the tanker, metering equipment and how much fuel stock you buy. These are estimates, and prices swing while you carry the stock cost, so cash flow can be tight.

Monthly revenue is typically around £12,000 to £60,000, depending on your customer numbers, the season and oil prices. This is an estimate of revenue, not profit, and demand peaks in winter.

Check ADR dangerous goods driver training, whether you need a goods vehicle operator's licence, Trading Standards rules on metering, and HMRC fuel duty or rebated fuel rules. Also check specialist insurance and where the council and Environment Agency allow fuel storage and tanker parking.