A Welsh fuel supplier has spread Christmas cheer to the elderly in Wales donating in excess of half a million pounds worth of fuel to keep them warm over the festive period.
Earlier this year, Oil 4 Wales announced it would be donating a one-off delivery of 800 litres of oil to its customers aged 80 years old or over to ensure they were kept warm over the winter months.
Since then, the family-run company, which has depots across Wales, has been inundated with requests and despite initially forecasting to pledge £75,000 worth of fuel, it has now donated over £500,000 of fuel in the lead up to Christmas.
With its mission of ‘working with the community, for the community’, the independent fuel distributed has helped thousands of pensioners in Wales this Christmas during the difficult cost of living crisis, deferring its own business plans to build another of its roadside restaurants Hollol Gymraeg in North Wales in order to finance the fuel scheme.
Commenting on the success of the scheme, Managing Director, Sally Williams said: “We have been overwhelmed with the response to our winter fuel campaign and have been proud to support our most vulnerable customers. We have been humbled by the lovely messages and cards we have received, and it means so much for us to be able to reach out to the community to ensure they stay warm this winter. It has been particularly nice to spread some festive cheer during what is a difficult Christmas for many.
“We could never have imagined that so many members of our local communities would sign up to the scheme. This demonstrates just how vital it is to act on our mission to ‘work with the community, for the community’ and to support each other throughout the cost-of-living crisis. Oil 4 Wales will do its best to continue to support those who are most vulnerable over the course of this winter and to limit the impact of expensive energy bills on our customers.
“We want to extend a huge thank you to our own fuel supplier as without them this scheme would not have been possible. They have been with us since day one and have been fully supportive of our business, and of this scheme, offering us a loan holiday in order to run this fuel donation. In order to fund the scheme, we also agreed to defer our plans to build another of our popular roadside restaurants – Hollol Gymraeg – in North Wales. As a business, we felt it more important to donate free heating oil to our elderly vulnerable customers in Wales at this time. But fear not a Hollol Gymraeg in North Wales is still on the cards next year!”
Feedback from customers who benefitted from the scheme included:
“Just to say thank you very much for the 800 litres of heating oil, it is very much appreciated and an extremely generous gesture.”
“This letter is to say thank you for the most wonderful gift I had on Monday of free oil from your company, so kind and it will help the elderly. I am 86 years old and have been a customer with you for over 10 years this month and paid the driver each time and the service has been wonderful, that’s why this letter I had to write.”
Over the last two years in a bid to decrease the burden of the pandemic, Oil 4 Wales has made several contributions to its community. These include a fuel delivery to local charity, The Carers Trust Crossroads which specifically benefitted an elderly husband and his wife, acting as theirsons carer throughout the pandemic.
In addition, following a request from Carmarthenshire Council, ongoing fuel donations of 500 litres were provided to local residents who care for their child following a diagnosis of Moto Neurone disease.
“We remain dedicated to helping those with living in cold, less energy efficient housing and importantly to limiting preventable losses going forward. Oil 4 Wales will help in whichever way it can.”
