Guides
Heating oil, answered
Straight answers to the questions people ask about heating oil, with Fueltool's live prices. Today's typical price is 105.3p a litre before VAT, about £1,105 for 1,000 litres with VAT.
Prices and buying
- When is the best time to buy heating oil?Heating oil is usually cheapest in summer and early autumn, when demand is low, and dearest in winter. In Fueltool's price records since 2012, August has been t...
- How much does 500 or 1,000 litres of heating oil cost?On 7 November 2026, a typical 1,000 litres of heating oil costs about £1,105 including 5% VAT and delivery, which is 105.3p a litre before VAT. A typical 500 li...
- Is heating oil cheaper if you order more?Yes. Larger orders usually cost less per litre: on today's typical prices, 1,000 litres works out 1.3p a litre cheaper than 500 litres. Only order what your tan...
- Do heating oil buying groups (oil clubs) save money?Often, yes. An oil club collects orders from many homes so a supplier can deliver them together, and the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) says this pooli...
- How long does heating oil delivery take?It depends on the supplier, where you live and the time of year, so there is no single answer. On Fueltool each price shows its delivery option and date before ...
- Why is heating oil cheaper in some parts of the UK?Because it costs more to get oil to some places. Areas far from a large import terminal or refinery pay more for the oil itself, and spread-out rural and island...
- How much VAT is on heating oil?Heating oil for homes is charged VAT at the reduced rate of 5%, and HMRC applies the same 5% whoever buys it when 2,300 litres or less is delivered to one site ...
- How do I get the cheapest heating oil?Compare prices from several local suppliers for your postcode, and order well before you run low so you can take a slower, cheaper delivery. Buy a larger amount...
- How do you pay for heating oil ordered online?When you order on Fueltool, Fueltool never takes card details: the supplier you chose phones you to take payment. Only pay a caller from the supplier you ordere...
- What is the minimum heating oil order?In Great Britain the usual minimum is 500 litres, which the CMA describes as the industry standard, and orders on Fueltool start at 500 litres. No regulation se...
- Which heating oil do I need: standard, premium or AGA oil?Most UK home oil boilers run on standard 28-second kerosene, sold on Fueltool as Heating Oil. Premium Kerosene is kerosene with a boiler additive, and AGA / Ran...
- Why do heating oil prices go up and down?UK heating oil prices follow the wholesale price of kerosene, which moves with crude oil, demand for jet fuel and the pound against the dollar. Winter demand, s...
Your tank and boiler
- Why won't my oil boiler work after a delivery?The usual reasons are air in the fuel line if the tank ran dry before the delivery, or sludge and water at the bottom of the tank stirred up by the new oil and ...
- Does heating oil freeze in cold weather?Standard heating oil (kerosene) is very unlikely to freeze or gel in a UK winter: UKIFDA says problems only really arise at around minus 39°C. Gas oil, which so...
- What should I do if my oil tank leaks?Keep yourself safe, then stop the flow if you can do it safely, by closing the tank valve or catching the drip in a bucket, and soak up spilt oil with sand, ear...
- What is sludge in an oil tank and is it a problem?Sludge is the layer of water, dirt and microbial growth that slowly settles at the bottom of an oil tank. It does little harm while it stays there, but if the t...
- How do I stop heating oil being stolen?Make the tank hard to get at and easy to watch: a lockable fill cap or padlock (never lock the vent), a level alarm that warns of a sudden drop, security lighti...
- How long does 1,000 litres of heating oil last?For a typical UK home, 1,000 litres of heating oil lasts about a year: Ofgem's typical household uses 9,500 kWh of gas a year, roughly the energy in 920 litres ...
- How do I check how much oil is in my tank?Most domestic oil tanks have a gauge: a clear sight tube on the side, a float gauge on top, or an electronic monitor that shows the level indoors. If the gauge ...
- How often should an oil boiler be serviced?At least once a year, or as the boiler maker recommends, by an OFTEC-registered technician, who should check the tank, pipework and filters as well as the boile...
- How long does an oil tank last?OFTEC, the oil heating trade body, gives around 20 years as the expected working life of a domestic oil tank, and says the risk of failure rises as a tank ages....
- What are the rules for domestic oil tanks?Every new or replacement home oil tank in the UK has to meet building regulations, which set how far it sits from buildings and boundaries and when it needs a b...
- What size oil tank do I need?Home heating oil tanks are commonly sold in sizes from about 1,000 to 2,500 litres, and building regulations guidance covers home tanks up to 3,500 litres. Choo...
- What do I do if I run out of heating oil?First get oil on the way: order the soonest delivery date you can find and tell the supplier honestly that you have run out. When it arrives, the boiler will of...
- What if a tanker can't reach my oil tank?Tell the supplier before the delivery, not on the day. On Fueltool, choose a small or baby tanker option where one is shown for narrow lanes and tight access (a...
- How do I know if there is water in my oil tank?You usually cannot tell by looking, because water sinks below the oil to the bottom of the tank. The surest checks are a water test at your annual service or wa...
- When should I reorder heating oil?Reorder well before the tank runs low: Which? suggests planning your next order when the tank gets to around a quarter full, and UKIFDA, the fuel distributors' ...
Money and help
- Is heating oil cheaper than gas or a heat pump?It depends on the oil price on the day and how well the heat pump runs. On Ofgem's October to December 2026 price cap, heat from a 90% efficient gas boiler cost...
- What help is there with heating oil costs?As of October 2026, each UK nation has emergency help for low-income households that heat with oil: council Crisis Payments in England, the Scottish Emergency H...
- Can I spread the cost of heating oil?Yes. The Competition and Markets Authority found that most heating oil suppliers in England, Scotland and Wales that responded to it offer a payment plan, eithe...
Other fuels
- How do businesses and farms buy fuel?Most businesses and farms buy fuel in bulk from local fuel distributors, who deliver by tanker to tanks on site, often on an account. What you can buy depends o...
- Can I use HVO in my oil boiler?Often yes, but not by simply filling the tank with it. OFTEC, the oil heating trade body, says switching fully from kerosene to HVO needs a formal conversion an...
- Who can use red diesel?Since 1 April 2022, red diesel (rebated gas oil) can only be used for the purposes HMRC still allows: mainly agriculture, horticulture, fish farming and forestr...
Where you live
- Heating oil on islands and in remote areasDelivering heating oil to islands and remote homes costs more: the CMA found in July 2026 that longer trips from wholesale supply, ferry costs, smaller tankers ...
- Heating oil in Northern Ireland: what is different?Heating oil is the most common way to heat a home in Northern Ireland: the CMA reported in July 2026 that over 60% of households use it, a far higher share than...
More from Fueltool
- The complete guide to buying heating oilFuel types, how much to order, tank and tanker sizes and ten ways to save, in one long read.
- Heating oil prices todayThe UK's typical price today and how it has moved.
- Heating oil price history since 2011Every month's average, lowest and highest price.
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