The Competition Commission (CC) has provisionally cleared DCC Energy UK Limited's completed acquisition of heating and transport fuel distribution businesses previously owned by Total Downstream UK plc.

DCC, which operates GB Oils, bought these businesses in September 2011 from Rontec LLP Limited, which had previously bought them from Total in June 2011. The acquisition included the Butler Fuels oil distribution business, which sells and distributes heating and transport fuels to .... [ Read the full article ]

The Oil Firing Technical Association (OFTEC) has launched a consultancy service to provide independent evaluations of oil-fired installations. Developed in response to customer demand, typical clients include householders, landlords and facilities managers in both the public and private sectors.

The service is designed to help clients assess their oil-fired installations and can also assist in resolving disputes, for example where an installation has been completed but th .... [ Read the full article ]

The founder of the Carbon Monoxide Awareness charity, Lynn Griffiths, is asking organisations working in the community to come together to prevent deaths and injuries from the UK's most common poison. The charity is asking anyone working in the UK who visits a member of the public in their own home to join a group which will meet twice yearly to discuss ways of raising awareness of the danger of carbon monoxide.

The "Carbon Monoxide Awareness Community Group" l .... [ Read the full article ]

Angus MP Mike Weir is bringing forward a Private Members’ Bill that would help off-grid pensioner households beat soaring winter energy costs this week.

Mr Weir – one of just 20 MPs successful in a ballot to present a Bill in the House of Commons – said the Bill (the Winter Fuel Allowance Payments (Off-Grid Claimants) Bill) would provide for the early payment of Winter Fuel Allowance to pensioners whose homes are not connected to the mains grid and whose principal sourc .... [ Read the full article ]

Oil prices dropped to $98.06 in London - their lowest in 17-months on fears of waning economic growth in China.

US benchmark oil price was also lower, falling to 1.4% to $82 in early trade before recovering to $84.10. Brent crude bounced back in later trading to $99.47, but is still more than 25% below its March peak.

The fall comes .... [ Read the full article ]

Up to 500 jobs are at risk, after Petroplus' Join Administrators announced they had failed to find a buyer for the company's Coryton refinery.

Steven Pearson, Joint Administrator and partner with PwC, commented, "Together with the Petroplus management and the creditors' committee, we have worked tirelessly to explore all feasible options for the refinery. We have had contact with over 100 possible investors and purchasers. We have been unable to reach a deal to date.

.... [ Read the full article ]