Rural Households Delay Heating Oil Purchases as Prices Rise 82%
Rural households in south-west England say rising heating oil prices are forcing them to delay winter purchases or reconsider how often they heat their homes…
Rural communities exposed heating costs are already weighing on households in south-west England as winter approaches. Residents told the BBC they have delayed buying heating oil, while Energy Consumers Minister Polly Billington said prices have risen by up to 82% since the US-Israeli war with Iran began.
The delay carries a direct risk: some households fear they may be unable to afford fuel when they need it. The government has announced plans to tighten market rules and review minimum order levels, but residents who spoke to the BBC questioned whether the measures would bring prices down.
Heating oil is often bought in bulk, leaving customers to find a large sum when they need to refill their tanks. For rural households without mains gas, the price jump can shape whether and how often they heat their homes.
Rural communities exposed heating price increases
Billington told the BBC rural communities with many people off the gas grid were among those most exposed to the increases. She said: “We need to make sure the market is working as fairly as possible.”
Nicola Sharpe, who lives in Dunsford, Devon, said she paid about £340 for 500 litres at the same point last year. The same amount now costs just over £600, she told the BBC.
“I'm looking at ways to spread the cost when I have to bite the bullet and get it,” Sharpe said. She was not convinced the government's proposed regulation would lower bills: “I can't see how regulating it is going to bring costs down.”
The measures announced by ministers include tighter rules for the sector, efforts to promote competition and clearer routes for customers seeking compensation if something goes wrong. The government will also review minimum order levels that apply to some customers.
Residents weigh heating against other costs
Pauline Trubody, from Porkellis, Cornwall, said she had already spent more on two deliveries of 500 litres this year than in previous years. The 76-year-old said she expected to use her heating less.
“There is going to be a lot of people who can't afford it and folk who are going to go cold,” Trubody told the BBC.
Lee Fossey, from St Agnes, Cornwall, pays £30 a month into a savings scheme to spread the cost of heating oil across the year. Even with that preparation, she said the price rise had left her unable to afford a full tank.
“I have done everything I reasonably can to budget and prepare for winter, yet despite this, the dramatic increase in prices means I can no longer afford to fill my tank,” Fossey said. She faces either going without heating this winter or using the money for another heating source.
The strain is immediate for customers who must buy fuel in larger quantities rather than paying for it as they use it. For households delaying an order in the hope of lower prices, waiting could leave them with fewer options when cold weather increases the need for heat.
The government announced a support package worth £53m for low-income families who use heating oil in March. Ministers had also promised better regulation of the sector earlier in October, according to the BBC.
Billington described the exposure of off-grid rural households as “striking”. Sharpe said the price for 500 litres had risen from about £340 last year to just over £600.
Source: bbc.co.uk
