Caithness residents face astronomical bills for home heating oil – average price rises from 42p a litre in March 2021 to £1.25 a litre now
A national consumer service offers advice to Caithness residents using oil to heat their homes who face astronomical bills due to a significant hike in the price of kerosene.
Though the majority of households in Scotland use gas or electricity for heating, around 129,000, mainly in remote and rural areas, rely on oil – about five per cent of all homes.
Figures compiled by the comparison site BoilerJuice show the average price for 1000 litres of kerosene oil in the UK was £1.25 per litre including VAT on March 16.
That was down slightly on a four-year peak of £1.60 per litre on March 10 but it was still almost three times higher than the same day in 2021 when the price was 42p per litre.
And the cost per litre last week was nearly six times higher than at the end of April 2020, when the average price was 21p. Domestic kerosene prices in the UK are affected by a range of factors including crude oil prices, currency exchange rates and distribution and delivery costs.
Those who rely on oil are not protected by the energy price cap, which sets a limit on the maximum amount suppliers can charge for gas and electricity.
Advice Direct Scotland (ADS), which runs the country’s national consumer advice service consumeradvice.scot, encouraged anyone who is struggling with bills to contact the charity’s specialist advisers on 0808 164 6000.
The charity is also administering the Scottish Government’s £4 million Home Heating Support Fund for those who are having to ration their energy use.
Conor Forbes, head of policy with ADS, said: “The soaring price of heating oil will have a huge impact on households in rural parts of Scotland, where thousands of homes are off grid.
“Oil is usually bought in bulk, so anyone needing to fill their tank right now so they can heat their homes faces an astronomical bill. But nobody has to struggle alone. Our advisers can provide free advice, and the Home Heating Support Fund that we administer on behalf of the Scottish Government is available for those rationing their energy use – with extra support available for households in remote or island communities."
More information is available at www.homeheatingadvice.scot