Oil prices create 'huge worry' as winter looms

Oil prices spark 'huge worry' as winter approaches

Thousands of households that depend on heating oil could face renewed financial pressure this winter as global tensions continue to drive up fuel prices, a councillor has warned.

Cheryl Cottle-Hunkin, Devon County Council's cabinet member for rural affairs and broadband, said rising oil prices were causing anxiety for families already coping with the cost of living.

The warning follows reports showing how the conflict in Iran has pushed up heating oil and fuel costs, with heating oil rising from about 60p a litre before the conflict to about 97p a litre, according to price comparison website Boiler Juice.

Cottle-Hunkin, a fifth-generation farmer from near Great Torrington, said the increases had also affected farming businesses.

"These aren't just minor increases, they're quite severe shocks," said Cottle-Hunkin.

Talking about her family's farm, she said higher fuel costs hit agricultural vehicles used every day, while larger farms operating heavy machinery faced an even greater problem.

She said 41,000 households in Devon relied on heating oil as their main heating source and warned that many were exposed to sudden price rises.

Her concerns come as worries increase about the effect of rising oil prices on rural communities.

"The price can double overnight," Cottle-Hunkin said. "There's no equivalent Ofgem price cap on the heating oil."

She said uncertainty was one of the biggest worries for rural residents.

As colder weather nears, she said many households could be forced into difficult choices about heating their homes.

"It's like hundreds of pounds that people have got to find," she said. "To fill up a tank with oil, it might be like £500 more that they've got to find that they weren't expecting."

The Liberal Democrat councillor urged anyone in financial difficulty to get help through Devon's Crisis and Resilience Fund, which is available through local district councils.

The fund is open to low-income households across Devon who suffer a sudden financial shock, such as an unexpected bill, a fall in income, or trouble paying for essentials including food, energy, water, housing costs or heating oil.

According to the council's website, the fund can also offer broader support and advice to help people strengthen their financial resilience and avoid future crises.

The scheme is run through Devon's district councils and Citizens Advice Devon.

In Cornwall, more than 34,500 households are believed to rely on oil for central heating.

Mark Clews, who lives near Callington, said he had put off filling his tank this summer while organising a replacement. But with prices now rising above £1 a litre, he said the gap compared with last year was striking. "Last year we paid 55p a litre for delivery at the same time of year," he said.

Clews said his family was lucky to have a large tank, which gave them some freedom over when to buy more fuel.

However, he said many households would be in a tougher position.

The father said his family had taken money-saving tips from consumer champion Martin Lewis.

"We've got electric blankets on every bed. We've got electric blankets on the sofa. We...only really turn heating on when it's absolutely necessary," he said.

Staples said heating oil prices had been "very volatile" in recent months and had now risen above 100p a litre.

He said prices in Guernsey are usually about 15p a litre higher than in the UK.

Staples said a litre of heating oil had cost about 75p at the same time last year, meaning an estimated 30,000 households in Guernsey with oil-fired boilers were now facing a major increase before the colder months.

"A full tank is going to cost me around about £1150, last year it would have been £750," he said.

"A simple comparison could help you keep more money in your pocket," it said.

A UK Government spokesperson said it was taking "direct and wide-ranging action to protect people and industry across the country from the rising cost of fuel" including providing £53m to support those using heating oil and allocating £1bn to local authorities in the Crisis and Resilience Fund.

"We are also directly supporting farmers and the fishing industry by slashing duty on the red diesel fuel they rely on to its lowest rate in over 20 years," they said.