As part of the recent Energy Price Guarantee, the government said last week that it would provide a one-off payment of £100 to help heating oil using households. This good news was shared by the BBC across the regions and in newspapers.
Along with the UK and Ireland Fuel Distributors Association (UKIFDA), our trade body, we welcome the news and the support for our heating oil customers at this challenging time. However, at this stage it is still not clear how the payment will be made or funded in practise, given the differences in the structure of the heating oil market compared with that for gas and electricity.
With UKIFDA, we are working to understand and confirm the most efficient way of administering the funds. UKIFDA met with government this week and are working through the details to find a solution. We will advise customers of the outcome – and confirm how to obtain the £100 support – as soon as is possible.
In the meantime, our advice to customers is as follows:
Please do not delay ordering if you need heating oil
Consistent with the advice of UKIFDA, we advise that customers do not wait or delay ordering should they need heating oil. Please continue to order in good time and ahead of peak periods where possible. Orders can be placed by phone or online.
Our Monthly Payment Scheme can help you manage your heating oil bills
To help you spread the cost of your annual fuel usage, we always recommend our popular Monthly Payment Scheme. By signing up, you will have 12 smaller monthly payments, which can be easier to manage than a single bill that may coincide with other annual outgoings.
For more information on our Monthly Payment Scheme please see here or call our team to discuss managing your home heating oil this winter.