How much does 500 or 1,000 litres of heating oil cost?

Today's typical prices

These are Fueltool's typical prices for 25 October 2026. They include delivery.

Why 500 litres costs more per litre

Every price has to cover getting a tanker and driver to your door as well as the oil itself. On a smaller order, that cost is shared across fewer litres, so each litre costs more.

On today's typical prices, 1,000 litres works out 1.4p a litre cheaper than 500 litres. The trade-off is a bigger bill in one go, and you need room in the tank. Our guide on whether ordering more saves money explains how to weigh it up.

How much people usually order

Which? says people tend to buy heating oil two or three times a year, ordering between 1,000 and 2,000 litres at a time. The CMA notes that because households buy infrequently, each order is a high-value purchase that runs to hundreds of pounds.

That is why small differences in the price per litre matter. On a 1,000 litre order, every penny a litre adds ten pounds to the bill, so comparing a few suppliers before you order is usually time well spent.

What changes your own quote

• Where you live. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) found that homes further from fuel terminals, and in areas with fewer oil-heated homes, including parts of Scotland, tend to pay more.
• How soon you want it. Which? notes that waiting longer for delivery usually costs less, while express or emergency deliveries can be pricey.
• How much you order. Larger orders usually cost less per litre, as above.
• Access. If a full-size tanker can't reach your tank, small and baby tankers can deliver down narrow lanes and into tight spots, and a small extra charge can apply.
• The day you order. The CMA found that retail prices closely follow the wholesale price of kerosene, and that a wholesale rise usually reaches retail prices within two days.

In Northern Ireland, smaller orders are much more common than in Great Britain, and the Consumer Council's price checker publishes average prices for 300, 500 and 900 litres.

VAT and the energy price cap

Heating oil for homes is charged VAT at the reduced rate of 5%. Under HMRC's rules, any delivery of up to 2,300 litres to one site on one day gets the reduced rate whatever the oil is used for.

Unlike gas and electricity, heating oil is not covered by Ofgem's energy price cap. There is no limit on what suppliers can charge, so prices move with the market, and the typical price above can change from one day to the next.

To see what suppliers charge at your own address, compare prices for your postcode.