The Federation of Petroleum Suppliers (FPS), the trade association for the UK oil distribution industry, has asked the Scottish Environment Protection Agency for more time to comply with new legislation which will affect over 95 heating oil and fuel distribution depots across Scotland.
New legislation which came into force in January 2018 made changes to regulation for sites which store oils under the existing Oil Storage Regulations so that they now come under the scope of the amended Controlled Activities Regulations (CAR).
Guy Pulham FPS chief executive, said: “We were disappointed that after initial consultations on the matter and working with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency throughout 2016, they did not contact the FPS again until October 2017 – ie three months before the new rules came into force.
“This was at a time, when the Scot-Govt is encouraging heating oil distributors to support customers facing fuel poverty.
“Potential additional costs such as this new legislation will bring about will put further pressure on the heating oil distributor who may have no option but to pass the cost onto the 150,000 households and businesses who use heating oil across Scotland.”
FPS members range from small family businesses – which form the greater part – to companies with national coverage. Deliveries go to domestic customers, agricultural, marine, industrial and commercial sites for power, heating and transport fuel.
21 Mar 2018
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