Throwleigh pensioner wins surprise 500 litres of heating oil for Christmas

A Throwleigh pensioner has enjoyed a warm and cosy Christmas this year after winning 500 litres of heating oil from Okehampton-based Moorland Fuels.

Dawn Hatton, a retiree and Direct Debit customer of Moorland Fuels, was completely surprised when she was informed she had won the inaugural 500-litre heating oil prize as part of the company’s new Cosy Heating Club rewards scheme. 

The company had kept the announcement of the club and the fuel draw a secret until the first winner was revealed.

Commenting on her good fortune, Mrs Hatton said: “Many people of my age are going to struggle this winter following the end of Winter Fuel payments, so to get a call to let me know that I’d won 500 litres of heating oil was just so lovely. All my friends in the village are celebrating!”

“The humanity of it was wonderful. I live on my own and my house is quite isolated, but heating oil keeps me independent. Now I can have friends and family to visit, and I won’t need to worry about the cost of heating my home when they are here."

“What’s particularly lovely is that my daughter is coming to visit all the way from Australia, where it’s 30 degrees. I live 800m above sea level, which means it’s always cold here. But this year, I won’t need to worry about that. We can look forward to spending time together in warmth.”

Dawn added: “It gives me a great sense of being cared for, and that is terribly important to me. I think it’s wonderful that a local employee-owned company is giving back to its customers, and in that spirit, I plan to make a donation to our local food bank. I can’t thank Moorland Fuels enough for making my Christmas.”

Matthew Crockett, Group Managing Director of Moorland Fuels, explained: “In 2022, we transferred ownership of the business to our workforce. Since then, we have evolved into a business that is 100% focused on our customers and rewarding them for their loyalty.”

“That’s why we set up the Cosy Heating Club, which was established for our monthly Direct Debit customers. It’s free to join, and full of great benefits and rewards, including the free 500-litre quarterly heating oil draw.”

Matthew added: “Mrs Hatton didn’t know that she was in line to win, quite simply because we wanted our first winner to be an existing loyal customer, so it was done entirely in secret!”

The company said that customers setting up monthly Direct Debits with Moorland Fuels instantly become Cosy Heating Club Members. 

In addition to having the chance to win 500 litres of heating oil every quarter, members can also look forward to:

• Priority 5-day delivery services
• The ability to order as little as 300 litres of heating oil
• One free update to premium heating oil per year
• A free annual tank sponge to protect heating systems and boilers from damage caused by tank sludge
• A free tank inspection on every delivery, ensuring safety and integrity
• Discounted oil tanks, eco-deliveries, and much more.

In addition to these benefits, Cosy Heating Club members also have the advantage of spreading the cost of heating their home across the year through manageable monthly payments.