Top 10 Best Oil and Gas Companies in North Somerset

The Role of Oil and Gas in a Rural and Coastal District

Understanding Local Demand

North Somerset is not an extraction region. There are no producing oil or gas fields here. What the district does have is substantial demand, an extensive distribution network and a large off-grid heating market, and that is where the companies serving it operate.

A significant number of rural properties around Wrington, Churchill, Banwell, Winscombe, Blagdon and the Mendip fringe are not connected to the mains gas network. These homes and farms rely on heating oil, sometimes called kerosene, or on liquefied petroleum gas delivered in bulk tanks or cylinders. Agricultural operations additionally consume red diesel for machinery and drying, while hauliers, plant hire firms and construction sites around the M5 corridor need bulk diesel and lubricants.

Mains gas serves the towns. Weston-super-Mare, Clevedon, Portishead, Nailsea and Yatton are largely connected, and gas remains the dominant heating fuel there. That creates a parallel market in boiler installation, servicing, safety inspection and emergency repair.

Fuel Supply, Distribution and Storage

Bulk fuel supply is a logistics business. Distributors operate tanker fleets, depot storage and telemetry systems that monitor customer tank levels and trigger automatic top-ups. For rural customers this matters: running dry in February is both cold and expensive. Good suppliers offer budget payment plans that spread annual cost across monthly instalments, priority winter scheduling for vulnerable customers and tank inspection services.

Storage compliance is a real obligation. Oil tanks must meet regulations on bunding, separation distance from buildings and boundaries, and pollution prevention, particularly near watercourses, which is a live issue across the Somerset Levels drainage network. Single skin steel tanks reaching end of life are commonly replaced with bunded plastic units, and a competent supplier will advise on this rather than simply delivering into a failing tank.

Servicing, Safety and Regulation

Anyone working on mains gas appliances must be Gas Safe registered. For oil appliances the equivalent competency scheme is OFTEC registration. Landlords have annual gas safety inspection duties, and commercial premises face additional obligations around ventilation, flueing and carbon monoxide risk. Annual servicing is not merely a warranty requirement, it materially affects efficiency and fuel consumption.

1. Certas Energy

Certas Energy is one of the largest fuel distributors in the United Kingdom, supplying heating oil, gas oil, diesel, lubricants and liquefied petroleum gas from a wide depot network. Its scale supports reliable rural delivery scheduling and commercial bulk contracts.

2. Mitchell and Webber

A long established West Country fuel distributor, Mitchell and Webber supplies domestic heating oil, agricultural fuels and commercial diesel with a strong regional reputation for service and local knowledge.

3. Rix Petroleum

Rix Petroleum delivers heating oil, gas oil and lubricants to domestic, agricultural and commercial customers, offering budget plans, tank monitoring and emergency deliveries.

4. Calor Gas

Calor is a leading supplier of liquefied petroleum gas in bulk tank and cylinder form, serving off-grid homes, farms, holiday parks, pubs and light industry. It also supplies bioLPG as a lower carbon alternative.

5. Flogas Britain

Flogas provides liquefied petroleum gas and liquefied natural gas alongside energy supply services, with expertise in converting off-grid commercial sites to gas-based heating and process energy.

6. Watson Fuels

Watson Fuels supplies heating oil, commercial fuels and lubricants nationally with a focus on tank services, fuel management and additive products that reduce sludge and improve burner performance.

7. Wales and West Utilities

As the gas distribution network operator for the region, Wales and West Utilities owns and maintains the pipes serving North Somerset, handles emergency gas escapes, new connections and network reinforcement. It is not a retail supplier but is central to gas availability.

8. British Gas

British Gas remains one of the largest domestic gas suppliers and service providers, offering boiler installation, annual servicing, cover plans and a large engineer network across the district.

9. Bristol Boiler Services

Serving Bristol and North Somerset, this type of specialist provides Gas Safe boiler installation, servicing, landlord safety certificates and breakdown response for both domestic and small commercial customers.

10. Somerset Heating and Plumbing Specialists

Local OFTEC and Gas Safe registered heating engineers across Weston-super-Mare, Nailsea and the surrounding villages handle oil boiler servicing, tank replacement, cylinder work and system upgrades, often combining traditional fuel expertise with heat pump readiness assessments.

The Transition Question

The direction of policy is clear. New build homes are moving away from fossil fuel heating, and oil boilers face eventual phase-out for replacement in existing properties. That does not mean the sector disappears quickly. Many rural buildings are poorly insulated, solid walled and expensive to convert, so a realistic transition involves fabric improvement first, then heat pump installation where practical, with hybrid systems and lower carbon liquid fuels such as hydrotreated vegetable oil bridging the gap.

The better fuel and heating businesses in the district are already positioning for this. They offer heat pump surveys alongside oil delivery, advise honestly on when conversion makes sense and when it does not, and treat efficiency improvements as part of the service rather than a threat to volume.

Choosing a Supplier or Engineer

Compare price per litre but also check delivery lead times, minimum order quantities, budget plan flexibility and out of hours availability. Confirm OFTEC or Gas Safe registration and ask for the registration number. For tank work, verify pollution prevention compliance and insurance. For commercial fuel, ask about fuel cards, telemetry and reporting.

Conclusion

Oil and gas remain practical necessities for a large share of North Somerset properties, particularly off the mains network. The companies listed above cover bulk supply, cylinder and tank services, network operation and qualified installation and maintenance. Choose a provider with proper registration, dependable winter logistics and a realistic view of the coming shift towards lower carbon heating.