A local scheme offering discounted heating oil has become so successful it is being expanded nationwide. The idea generated with Oxfordshire Rural Community Council (ORCC) as a means to raise extra income. ORCC chief executive Linda Watson said of the bulk-buying scheme: "There are already quite a number of communities that have local syndicates in place." She added: "What we have done is use that model to scale it up to maximise the buying power in communities."
