More support as heating oil costs 'double'

Farmers and residents say they are concerned after heating oil costs have "doubled" since the conflict in Iran escalated.

Wiltshire Council said teams are on standby to offer more support to struggling residents, as about 8% of the county's population relies on heating oil, compared with the national average of 3%.

In neighbouring Somerset, Glastonbury and Somerton MP Sarah Dyke has written to the government to call for more help for rural communities amid risks people in the county "will not be able to afford to heat their homes".

Chancellor Rachel Reeves said she recognised that households who use heating oil face "unique challenges" and has promised meetings to discuss an action plan.

After the conflict started, Iran warned vessels not to pass through the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf. About 20% of the world's oil and gas is shipped through the strait, but marine traffic has slowed in recent days.

Oil distributors have urged people to only buy what they need and believed prices could drop back down when events linked to the war settled.

In Wiltshire, resident Mike Blacker is part of an oil syndicate, which sees people come together to buy large amounts of oil together in order to bring down the price.

Blacker, who lives in Chippenham, said the price of oil has more than doubled in just a few days and that some suppliers are quoting £1.25 per litre.

He told Radio Wiltshire: "It always has a knock-on effect, any wars, especially in that region.

"It's [heating oil] more than doubled in price over a couple of weeks."

Elsewhere in the county, farmer Ceri Cryer is struggling to get diesel for her tractors, with one supplier telling her stocks are running low.

"We need the tractor to be scraping up the muck, to feed the animals, for hedge-cutting and we've also started putting the fertilizer out," she said.

"Having the tractor going is crucial to our business."

Cryer, who farms at Brinkworth Dairy, was recently quoted £1.49 per litre, when her usual price had been 0.79p.

She added farmers feel "out of control" when it comes to the costs of essentials such as heating oil.

Prices for oil have jumped since the conflict started, but stabilised recently following reports that oil could be released from countries' stockpiles.

Wiltshire Council officials are now on standby to help social tenants struggling with heating costs, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Ian Thorn, leader of the council, said: "We know that rising energy costs, which are often impacted by world events, including the price of heating oil, are putting pressure on many households, particularly in rural areas.

"We understand how difficult this can be, and our teams are here to support any tenants or residents who may be struggling."

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