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Sun, 13 Sep 2026

Sun, 13 Sep 2026 Oil prices create 'huge worry' as winter looms

The warning comes after the US-Iran conflict drives up heating oil and fuel costs.
A councillor from Devon County Council warned that uncertainty is one of the biggest concerns for rural residents, who may face difficult decisions about heating their homes this winter. According to reports, the price of heating oil has risen from around 60p a litre before the conflict in Iran to over 97p a litre currently. This increase affects not only households but also farming businesses, with some farms experiencing severe shocks due to higher fuel costs. A total of 41,000 households in Devon rely on heating oil as their main source of heating, making them vulnerable to sudden price spikes. The councillor urged anyone facing financial hardship to seek help through the local Crisis and Resilience Fund. In Cornwall, over 34,500 households are thought to rely on oil for central heating. A resident from near Callington said that prices have climbed above £1 a litre, compared to around 55p last year. Guernsey's fuel price is about 15p higher than in the UK. According to Guernsey Fuel and Oil Watch, a litre of heating oil has cost around 75p at the same time last year, meaning that an estimated 30,000 households in Guernsey now face a significant increase ahead of the colder months. The UK Government has provided £53m to support those using heating oil and allocated £1bn to local authorities in the Crisis and Resilience Fund.