02/10/2026
Rural families are facing a growing energy crisis, as heating oil prices have risen by a staggering 74 per cent since February.
It means families now need to find an extra £400 from their existing budget just to buy the same amount of fuel as they did at the start of the year.
For those already struggling with rising household costs, these unpredictable increases have left many facing an impossible dilemma: heat or eat.
It’s a position no family should be in.
That’s why we’re calling for targeted support for households not connected to the gas grid, including a six-month VAT cut on heating oil and LPG.
This could save an average household around £50 per 1,000 litres of heating oil.
It’s one of a number of proposals we've put to the Treasury ahead of the Chancellor’s Budget later this month.
🔗 Read more at: https://acre.org.uk/energy-price-rises-hit-heating-oil-users-hardest-as-costs-soar-by-74-per-cent
