Heating oil orders cancelled and prices hiked

Households relying on heating oil have seen their bills double, orders cancelled - and some have been unable to get heating oil at all - since the US and Israel began their assault in Iran.

About 1.7 million households in England and Wales rely on kerosene for heating and hot water but, unlike gas and electricity, prices are not capped and are subject to volatility.

Nicki Weetman from Sturminster Newton, Dorset, is undergoing chemotherapy so needs to keep warm but says she is rationing her use after a supplier cancelled their delivery.

Boiler Juice, an intermediary website which took the order on behalf of supplier Tincknell Fuels, said the industry aimed to prioritise deliveries for vulnerable customers and urged the Weetmans to get in touch.

Unlike mains gas, heating oil has to be ordered and delivered in bulk every few months to a tank attached to each property.

Many households order through oil clubs or online marketplaces such as Boiler Juice which match customers with the best deals.

Weetman says she paid £346 for 500 litres through Boiler Juice on 28 February - the first day of air strikes in Iran - but on 9 March, delivery day, was refunded and quoted £841 to re-order.

The email from Boiler Juice included message from Tincknell Fuels saying: "We were unable to fulfil the orders due to stock issues as we were let down by multiple suppliers over the whole week and, with prices rocketing up, we were not in a position to continue with the orders.

"We also had email issues and were unaware of the large volume of orders placed over the weekend... we are not in a position to fulfil any outstanding orders for all Gillingham zones."

Weetman said: "This is so distressing for me.

"We're on a third of a tank of oil. I must have the heating on as I'm in chemotherapy and get so cold, but we've allowed ourselves to have the hot water on just once a day.

"Once we're out of oil, it'll be hot water bottles and electric blankets."

Boiler Juice CEO Tim Buckman said he was "very concerned" to hear about the Weetmans' situation, adding: "We will investigate and offer as much support as we can."

He said: "We are aware of a small number of cancellations initiated by few suppliers. The vast majority - many thousands - of orders are being delivered as expected.

"In those instances of disrupted orders we are working with customers to secure alternative deliveries and minimise the impact and inconvenience."

Chris Wheeler, from Bucklebury, Berkshire, said prices were heading "out of sight".

He said his records showed, in 2020, 1500 litres cost £496.

He recently ordered 1000 litres for £641, but said it had not yet been delivered.

"It's one of those things you can't budget for because you never know what's going to happen with oil prices," he said.

Mandy Willis from Shillingstone, Dorset, had been due to top up her tank but says she can no longer afford it.

To add to her uncertainty, some companies are warning their quotes are only "indicative" and the price could change on the day of delivery.

She said: "Our last purchase of 500 litres cost £325 last autumn. We went to place an order last weekend and now the cost is £682 for the same amount.

"That cost is only a quote and the actual charge could be even higher on the day."

Rural MPs from across the UK met ministers at Westminster on Wednesday to discuss the problem.

Among them was East Hampshire MP Damian Hinds, who said: "I've got thousands of constituents who rely on oil for their heating and hot water.

"We need help right now to make sure people can afford to heat their homes, particularly those vulnerable customers who might otherwise struggle.

"We got a very clear message from the ministers that there is no issue with supply of oil.

"There was a month's worth of orders placed within a couple of days and, of course, that has a big effect on pricing and being able to get a delivery in a timely fashion.

"That should ease off over time but... when people have had individual issues with deliveries or with orders not honoured - that's really bad."

Newbury's Liberal Democrat MP Lee Dillon said families in his constituency were "being left to shoulder the worst of these global shocks, at the very moment they are already battling the cost‑of‑living crisis".

He said that 30 percent of all homes in his constituency were off the gas grid leaving more than 13,000 households "abandoned" by the government.

He added: "The government must provide immediate relief for households facing rocketing oil and gas prices caused by the conflict in the Middle East.

On Tuesday, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the Competition and Markets Authority would look at the issues around heating oil to ensure customers were being treated fairly.