Petition to the UK Government: Subsidise Heating Oil for Households Dependent on Oil Boilers

We, the undersigned, call on the UK Government to introduce targeted financial support for households that rely on heating oil due to the absence of access to the mains gas network.

Across rural and off-grid communities in the United Kingdom, millions of households depend on oil boilers as their primary source of heating and hot water. Unlike households connected to the gas grid, these residents have no realistic short-term alternative. They cannot simply switch supplier infrastructure or connect to mains gas without significant cost, planning constraints, or geographical limitations.

Recent geopolitical instability in the Middle East has caused sharp increases in global oil prices. These increases are rapidly passed on to consumers purchasing heating oil. As a result, rural households, many already facing higher living costs due to transport, housing, and limited infrastructure, are being disproportionately penalised for circumstances outside their control.

At present, many energy support schemes are designed around electricity and mains gas usage. While these measures provide vital relief to grid-connected households, those relying on heating oil often receive less direct or delayed support, despite facing comparable or even higher heating costs during colder months.

We therefore urge the Government to:

- Introduce a dedicated subsidy or rebate scheme for domestic heating oil purchases for households without access to mains gas.
- Ensure parity between support for off-grid homes and those using mains gas or electricity.
- Provide temporary cost relief while long-term rural heating transition strategies, such as heat pumps or alternative fuels are developed and made affordable.
- Work with rural communities to ensure energy policy does not disproportionately disadvantage off-grid households.

Rural residents should not face financial hardship simply because of where they live or the heating infrastructure available to them. Fair and targeted support is needed to ensure that households reliant on heating oil are protected from volatile global energy prices.

We respectfully call on the UK Government to act now to ensure rural and off-grid communities receive fair support during this period of rising heating costs.