The issue has affected households, farmers and businesses that rely on oil-fired heating and fuel-powered equipment. Local representatives have warned that sudden price changes are creating uncertainty for people who have limited alternatives.
Rising Fuel Costs Put Pressure on Rural Households
Cheryl Cottle-Hunkin, Devon County Council’s cabinet member for rural affairs and broadband, said rising oil prices were causing concern among residents across rural areas. She said 41,000 households in Devon relied on heating oil as their main source of heating.
According to price comparison website Boiler Juice, heating oil prices increased from around 60p per litre before the Iran conflict to about 97p per litre. Cottle-Hunkin said the increases represented a significant financial challenge for households that needed to refill their tanks before colder weather arrived. “The price can double overnight,” she said, adding that heating oil does not have an equivalent price cap to the system applied to some other energy markets.
The councillor, who is also a fifth-generation farmer near Great Torrington, said the higher costs were affecting agricultural businesses as well. Fuel is used by farming vehicles and heavier machinery, creating additional expenses for farms that depend on regular fuel supplies.
She said some households could face difficult choices when trying to pay for heating. Filling an oil tank could require hundreds of pounds more than expected, she told the BBC. Across Cornwall, more than 34,500 households are thought to use oil for central heating. Mark Clews, who lives near Callington, said his household paid 55p per litre for delivery at the same time the previous year. He said prices had since risen above £1 per litre.
Island Communities and Local Support Measures
The rise in heating oil prices has also affected communities outside mainland Britain. Nigel Staples, who runs Guernsey Fuel and Oil Watch, said prices had been “very volatile” in recent months and had moved above 100p per litre.
According to Staples, prices in Guernsey are usually around 15p per litre higher than in the UK. He said a litre of heating oil had cost about 75p at the same time the previous year, affecting around 30,000 households with oil-fired boilers on the island.
Staples said filling a tank would now cost him about £1,150, compared with around £750 the year before. Local authorities have pointed residents towards support schemes and advice. Devon County Council said its Crisis and Resilience Fund could help low-income households experiencing sudden financial difficulties, including problems paying for heating oil.
The UK government said it was taking action to support people and industries affected by fuel costs. According to a government spokesperson, measures included £53m of support for heating oil users and £1bn allocated to local authorities through the Crisis and Resilience Fund.
Jersey Consumer Council also encouraged households to use its website comparing fuel prices across the island, saying that checking prices could help people manage their spending. As winter approaches, households using heating oil remain exposed to changes in global fuel markets, with local representatives highlighting uncertainty as one of the main concerns for rural communities.
