If your recipient uses off-grid fuel (heating oil, LPG or coal), the right product is the Heating oil card. It's a digital prepaid Mastercard that can be used to pay any off-grid energy supplier online or by phone.
The Heating oil card is one of Huggg's prepaid energy cards. For full pre-send detail (KYB, fees, limits, common issues), see: Prepaid energy cards: what you need to know before sending. This article focuses on what's specific to off-grid use, particularly heating oil.
Before you start: KYB
The Heating oil card is a regulated prepaid debit card product. Sending it requires a Know Your Business (KYB) check on your organisation. A single KYB covers all of Huggg's prepaid energy cards (Energy, Water, Heating oil).
If your organisation hasn't yet completed KYB, email us at disbursements@huggg.me to start the process. KYB takes 3 to 5 working days to process.
Fees
Heating oil card fees include issuance, cancellation and other charges. For an up-to-date breakdown, email us at disbursements@huggg.me.
When off-grid is the right use case
Send a Heating oil card when your recipient:
Heats their home with heating oil (kerosene)
Uses LPG (bottled or bulk)
Uses solid fuel such as coal
Has access to a phone or computer to place orders online or by phone
Heating oil: paying by phone vs online
Heating oil orders work differently from energy or water bills. Heating oil suppliers price by the litre, with a minimum order quantity, and the final cost depends on the size of the delivery and current oil prices.
This creates a practical issue:
Online orders go through only when the order total is at or below the card balance. If the order is larger than the card, the payment will fail at checkout.
Phone orders let your recipient split the payment. They can put the Heating oil card balance towards the order and pay the difference using another method.
When the order is larger than the card balance, the recipient should pay by phone. Make this clear to your recipient when sending.
Pre-send checklist
Before you send a Heating oil card, confirm:
Your organisation has completed KYB
Your recipient is able to use online or phone payment
Your recipient hasn't already received the maximum allowed: 3 active cards at a time and £500 in total in the past 12 months. Above the £500 threshold, an Enhanced ID Check on the recipient is required (with an additional processing fee). This limit is shared across all prepaid energy cards.
If you're sending for heating oil, your recipient understands they may need to pay by phone (rather than online) for split payments
Your recipient understands the card expires at the end of the month shown
How your recipient pays their off-grid supplier
Once they have generated their card, your recipient can:
Place an order on the supplier's website using the card details (best when the order total is at or below the card balance)
Call the supplier and place the order over the phone, splitting the payment between the card and another method if needed
Common issues and what to do
Issue | What to do |
Online heating oil order fails because total is above card balance | Recipient should place the order by phone instead and split the payment. |
Recipient's local oil supplier won't take card payments at all | Encourage them to compare with other local suppliers. Most accept card. If none in their area do, contact us at support@huggg.me. |
Recipient already has 3 active cards | A new card cannot be issued until one of the active cards expires or is fully spent. |
Recipient has had over £500 in prepaid energy cards in the past 12 months | An Enhanced ID Check on the recipient is required before a further card can be issued. This incurs an additional processing fee. Email disbursements@huggg.me to discuss. |
Card balance is below supplier's minimum order quantity | Recipient will need to top up the difference from another payment source. The supplier should be able to take a card payment over the phone for the Heating oil card balance, with the rest paid by the recipient's own card or bank transfer. |
How your recipient uses the card
Recipients open their link, generate the card, and use the card details to pay their off-grid supplier online or by phone. For full recipient instructions, see How do I get my prepaid card? and Heating oil prepaid card: how to use it.
Still need help?
For KYB or fees, email disbursements@huggg.me. For anything else, email support@huggg.me and we'll help.