Oil prices create 'huge worry' as winter looms

Thousands of households who rely on heating oil could face a fresh squeeze on their finances this winter as global tensions continue to push 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 creating anxiety for families already struggling with the cost of living.

The warning comes after reports highlighted how the conflict in Iran had driven up heating oil and fuel costs, with the price of 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 hit farming businesses.

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

Speaking about her family's farm, she said higher fuel costs affected agricultural vehicles used every day, while larger farms running heavy machinery faced an even bigger challenge.

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

Her concerns come as fears grow about the impact 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 concerns for rural residents.

Bills for heating oil have risen by several hundred pounds over the last six months [PA Media]

With colder weather approaching, she said many households could face difficult decisions over 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 facing financial hardship to seek help through Devon's Crisis and Resilience Fund, available through local district councils.

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

The fund can also provide wider support and advice to help people improve their financial resilience and avoid future crises, according to the council's website.

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

Across Cornwall, more than 34,500 households are thought to rely on oil for their central heating.

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

Clews said his family was fortunate to have a large tank, giving them some flexibility over when to buy more fuel.

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

The father said his family had followed money-saving advice 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.

Tens of thousands of households rely on oil fired boilers in Guernsey [BBC]

Nigel Staples, who runs Guernsey Fuel and Oil Watch, said heating oil prices had been "very volatile" in recent months and had now climbed above 100p a litre.

Prices in Guernsey tend to be about 15p a litre more than in the UK, he said.

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 who have oil-fired boilers were now facing a significant increase ahead of the colder months.

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

'Direct and wide-ranging action'

Jersey Consumer Council encouraged householders to use its website which compares the cost of petrol, diesel and home heating oil across the island.

"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.

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