Charity warns of impact as heating oil prices rise
Rachel DouglasA charity is warning a rise in the price of heating oil amid the conflict in the Middle East will hit those "already struggling" in rural communities.
Approximately 30% of homes in Cumbria and Northumberland do not have mains gas and rely on heating fuels such as oil or LPG.
Most people buy in bulk rather than pay monthly and some comparison sites show heating oil prices have doubled in a week.
Christine Nicholls, from Community Action Northumberland (CAN), said: "When prices jump from around 60p to £1 a litre it can add hundreds of pounds to the cost of a single purchase."
"The rise in costs is going to be incredibly difficult for households already struggling with fuel poverty."
Heating oil sits outside the regulatory framework that covers gas and electricity, which means consumers can see prices suddenly rise.
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has been approached for comment.
Rachel Douglas lives in Seahouses, Northumberland, one of an estimated 4.5 million households across Great Britain not connected to the gas grid.
"My tank's nearly empty but I've switched off the heating because I'm not paying extortionate prices for something that is happening elsewhere in the world beyond my control," she said.
"Luckily we have a large log burner to warm the house but I feel sorry for older people who don't have that choice."
Simon Walker, who lives near Nenthead, in Cumbria, uses about 2,500 litres of heating oil a year.
"I fill my tank up in September every year," he said. "Last year, I paid about £1,250, if I was filling it up today that would cost me in the region of £1,800."
Simon Bainbridge, the North East representative for the Country Land and Business Association (CLA), said: "I lot of my neighbours are ringing me up and saying, 'Have you seen the price of heating oil?'"
"It's still really cold, this is really worrying for people in rural areas who often live in poorly insulated houses.
"But given a lot of the oil would have been bought before this crisis, I do wonder if there's a bit of profiteering going on?"
We asked the UK and Ireland Fuel Distributors Association Ltd (UKIFDA) why prices were rising so quickly but they only said the industry had been advised by the UK government "there are no current reported impacts to the UK fuel supply".
Its statement added there had been a "sharp increase in consumer enquiries about purchasing heating oil".
"The present period of price volatility makes it more difficult for distributors to predict the cost of fuel they purchase," they added.
