Martin Lewis: Heating oil & LPG price hikes – are firms playing fair? We need your feedback…

Intoodeep

Ordered 3 weeks ago, delivered last week , 58.8p when ordered, 1192 Litres, price honoured by Supplier.

sarahsays

In Northern Ireland, ordered 800 litres of home heating oil in February at a cost of £451, just checked today and the same amount is now £1001.

jimi_man

Ordered 500 litres via Boilerjuice on 28th Feb for £332 for delivery on 9th March. On the day of delivery they (Tincknell fuels) cancelled it and said I have to reorder. And that I should be aware that the price may have gone up. I’m guessing it has since I can’t actually see as no-one can quote me a price - ‘no delivery available in your area’. 

However yesterday BoilerJuice contacted me after I expressed my displeasure about the situation and reinstated the order at the original price after the suppliers agreed, with a delivery date next week.

Good on them, very grateful.

IgglyBiggly

A barrel of oil has gone from $68 to $104 +53% (to date).

Diesel at petrol stations (the un-taxed part) has gone from about 65ppl to about 81ppl +26% (if my calcs are right - taking off vat and 52.95p in tax).

Heating oil (Kerosine) has gone from about 57ppl to 135ppl +137% !! - how is 137% justifiable?

Also, the government are raking in more VAT at 20% on the fuel prices paid at the pump and nearly 2.5 times as much (at 5%) from anyone ordering heating oil. Can this be where RR has found the money from to possibly help home heating oil reliant customers? The help (if it is coming) needs to be for all 1.3m oil users and not just those on benefits.

As a comparison, can you imagine the uproar if people were faced with £3.00 per litre for fuel at the petrol station? Well that is the equivalent of what heating oil customers are being asked to pay for kero to heat their homes

strawb_shortcake

According to the Guardian, financial help will be announced next week for those with low incomes and other vulnerabilities

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/mar/13/rachel-reeves-to-set-out-extra-support-for-uk-households-facing-surge-in-heating-oil-costs

karcla

Am I the only person wondering why oil heating is for those most vulnerable when gas and electricity are capped for everyone?

Oil in our area was 51.9 a litre two weeks ago, the cheapest now is 132.9p per litre. 81p per litre or around £405 extra for a 500 litre delivery, before paying the 5p tax.

I live in a rural area where gas is our only choice, our house is rated G efficient but due to it being listed we can not improve this.

I saved all my working life and paid into a private pension, this has meant we are just over the threshold for assistance. This doesn’t help with advising people to save if it means you’re regularly better off having nothing.

As for the government’s offer of help ……..

500 litres generally being the lowest order amount = £33.22 VAT (based on £132.9 per litre) x approximately 1.7 million users = £56.5m

(So are the government really ‘finding’ this money or just using the VAT paid by all users on this rise?)

dpres205

price checked my supplier in Wales yesterday for heating oil and price had increased 109% from 57.65 pence per litre to £1.21 per litre.

They offer smaller amounts to try and help but that costs £1.23 per litre and would only last 6-8 weeks.

connor08

can you tell me please how this works for councils in wales it closes on the 31st of march the council doesnt have this help on their website yet we dont have household support fund in wales so can you tell me please what it is called in wales and how you apply ??

MacFan62

Like some previous posts the heating oil price in our area has more than doubled. At the beginning of February the price was 56.83ppl and is now quoted at 120.92ppl. So just over double.

What currently concerns me is that while the government is looking to offer some level of assistance (given the market is unregulated and no price caps currently in place unlike gas and electricity) is that this will be subject to some form of means test, meaning many others will be left paying extortionate prices while the situation persists with no assistance provided.

gilleydee

I paid for heating oil 26th February, 54ppl supplier kept delaying delivery. Finally said they couldn’t, I would have to cancel existing order , obvious manufacturered reason, and buy again at 228ppl