Order & Delivery Q & A
Larkins Order & Delivery Q&A
Routine Delivery Rounds, Flexible Payments & Our Stacking Service
Got questions about your winter fuel drop? Browse our helpful guide below covering our delivery rounds, hand-stacking service, property access, and paying for your fuel across Norfolk and Suffolk.
👥 Who handles my delivery?
Your delivery is handled with the personal care that only a local independent family business can provide. The vast majority of our local rounds are personally looked after by Martin, a fourth-generation member of the Larkins family, or by Nigel, who brings over 50 years of active trade experience as a master coal merchant. You will never have to worry about a faceless national courier company leaving a pallet abandoned by your roadside kerb!
⏰ Delivery Rounds, Communication & Access
Is delivery completely free?
Yes! We provide free delivery to all local villages and parishes within our delivery areas, provided our local minimum delivery rules are met (starting from just 4 individual bags in Zone 1). If your basket falls below your area minimum, our online shop will notify you at checkout.
Do I need to be at home to receive my fuel?
No, you do not need to wait in. As long as Martin has clear, safe external access to your log store, coal bunker, or garage side-gate, we can cleanly deliver and neatly stack your fuel while you are away out at work. Many of our long-standing regular customers leave us to it and return home to a perfectly topped-up winter fuel store.
How will you update me after I place my order online?
We keep our communication personal and local. As soon as your local delivery round has been organised for the week, Martin will reach out to you directly via a text message or email to confirm your delivery day and arrival window. For live updates on your delivery day, you can text or call Martin directly on 07585 547289.
How should I prepare my property for your vehicle arrival?
To help us drop your fuel safely and efficiently, please ensure that the path leading to your coal bunker or wooden log store is entirely clear of obstacles like wheelie bins, low tree branches, or garden furniture. If your country cottage is hard to find or your driveway is hidden, feel free to drop your precise what3words location into the notes field at checkout.
Can your delivery trucks handle a gravel driveway?
Yes. Our compact, specialised 3.5-tonne trucks are much lighter than large national courier vehicles and handle standard gravel driveways beautifully. As long as your gravel driveway is relatively flat and does not have a steep incline, access will not be a problem for our team.
💪 Stacking Service vs. Bulk Bags
Our small delivery trucks are roughly the size of a standard supermarket van. This allows us to easily back straight into tight residential driveways and navigate the narrow rural lanes across the region that completely block large national transport lorries.
- Individual Bags (Smokeless Coal, Logs, Salt & Kindling): We handle all the manual heavy lifting for you. We shoulder and neatly hand-stack your 25kg bags of coal, individual log bags, water salt packs, and boxed kindling accessories exactly where you want them stored away—whether that is a garden shed, garage corner, or outhouse store.
- Bunker-Ready Service: If you use loose coal, our drivers are happy to cleanly empty your bags directly into your outdoor storage bunker or fuel shed upon request—keeping your property spotless and your hands completely clean.
- 📦 Bulk Bag Delivery (The Driveway Drop): For our 1.2m³ and 1.6m³ Bulk Bags, we offer a clean, driveway-safe drop. These land standing completely upright via our specialist tipper truck. Note: Bulk Bags are delivered as a complete unit and are not hand-stacked or emptied out loose. For our full stacking service, please choose our individual small bag options at checkout.
Can I choose to collect directly from your yard?
Yes! Self-service yard collections are available by appointment from our base at Old Buckenham. Because our delivery trucks are frequently out on the road, please text or call Martin first on 07585 547289 before you travel to ensure someone is on-site to help load your vehicle.
What if I completely run out of heating fuel today?
Don't freeze! We supply a select group of independent village shops, farm outlets, and country garage forecourts who stock our Newburn smokeless coal and kiln-dried hardwood logs. If you cannot wait for our next regular delivery round to reach your village, give our office a call and we will gladly point you straight to your nearest local retail stockist.
💳 Secure Payments & Quality Guarantees
We offer complete, secure flexibility to suit your household's needs:
| Payment Method | How it Works |
|---|---|
| Secure Online Checkout | Pay safely via our 24/7 checkout using Credit/Debit Card, PayPal, Apple Pay, or Google Pay. |
| Card Payment at Door | Our delivery trucks carry secure mobile card terminals for chip-and-pin processing upon delivery. |
| Over the Telephone | Call the office on 01953 861145. Your details are processed safely and securely. |
| Direct Bank Transfer (BACS) | We accept direct transfers for domestic and agricultural trade estates. Contact our office for invoice details. |
| Monthly Direct Debit | Available by pre-arrangement for our returning local customers to help split seasonal heating costs evenly. |
When do your out-of-season summer rates take effect?
Our off-season trade discounts open every year in May and June, offering our lowest guaranteed summer prices. Depending on our wholesale supplier chains, we frequently freeze and extend these lowest rates straight through July and August. While we have sometimes successfully extended and frozen our lower rates until 30th September depending on suppliers, we always advise filling your log shed, fuel bunker, or store cupboard as early as possible in the summer to beat the winter rush and avoid disappointment.
What happens if I am not satisfied with how my fuel burns?
As a multi-generational independent family merchant, we stand resolutely behind the quality of our products. All our hardwood logs are officially Ready to Burn certified, and our smokeless coal range are fully backed by our Approved Coal Merchant Scheme consumer guarantees. If you are not 100% happy with your purchase, contact our family immediately on 01953 861145 and we will make it right.
📅 Plan Your Delivery Today
Unsure which specific weekday our delivery trucks are working on the roads near your village or parish boundaries? Click below to check our regular delivery loops:
Ready to Secure Your Delivery Slot?
Experience the local, traditional family service that Norfolk and Suffolk properties have relied on since 1922. Let our family handle all the heavy manual labour for you.
📞 Call Office: 01953 861145
📱 Text / Call Martin: 07585 547289
🛒 Order online 24/7 for a fast response!