February 2019

Minutes of 28th January 2019

28th January 2019

 

Acle’s No Cold Calling Zones

Some parts of Acle are now No Cold Calling Zones. Norfolk County Council Trading Standards have put up signs at all entrances to the relevant roads.

Hopefully you have received a welcome pack from Norfolk County Council which explains that the Zone is to discourage cold callers from calling uninvited at your door. Obviously the decision to accept cold callers is yours to make but, for many people, they are unwelcome and for a few they can be distressing.

There have been a few reports recently of salesmen calling at homes in the village, uninvited. They have said that they didn’t know about the Zone but then are believed to have called at more houses.

If this happens to you, please make a note of the company they claim to be working for, and phone Citizens Advice on 03454 04 05 06. This information will then be sent out to parish clerks in the area and to those who have signed up to alerts about scams and cold calling from: https://www.norfolk.gov.uk/business/trading-standards/scams

There is no law preventing cold calling.  However, by law, you have 14 days to cancel contracts signed at home or at your place of work for works costing more than £42.  The trader must give you a cancellation notice, allowing a 14-day cooling off period.  It’s a criminal offence if they don’t do this and Trading Standards may be able to take enforcement action.

 

 

Heating Oil bulk-buying scheme – free membership

Heating oil is an unregulated commodity. Unlike mains gas and electricity, there are no rules and regulations or price controls. Oil has seen dramatic price fluctuations in recent times – and you can’t easily buy it in small helpings just when you need it.

So how can you shop around for a really good deal on heating oil? The answer is to join a bulk-buying scheme – and there’s one that already operates right across Norfolk.  ThinkingFuel, a partnership between Community Action Norfolk and AF Affinity, Anglia Farmers’ bulk buying group, already has more than 3,000 members.

The idea is that everyone in the scheme gets a really low price on their oil because it’s negotiated by a single expert supplier, who buys in bulk, and then passes on the savings to the members. Everyone pays the same price regardless of how much they order.

It works like this. You can join as a community group or an individual. You have to register to be part of the scheme and we are currently offering FREE LIFETIME individual membership (Normally membership costs £20 a year or £60 for lifetime membership). The bulk ordering takes place on two set days each month to maximise savings. That’s when you get the best deal, but you can order oil on any working day of the month and still get a competitive price – but those two important days give the best price.

Acle Parish Council has paid to join as a community group, but there is currently free membership for individuals, so it’s a good time to sign up:

Find out more here