Emergency help to buy oil
Heating oil is not covered by the energy price cap, so after prices jumped in 2026 the UK and devolved governments put extra money into local schemes. All of them are aimed at low-income households or people in hardship. As of October 2026:
| Nation | Where to go | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| England | Your council's Crisis and Resilience Fund | Councils can make Crisis Payments for heating fuel, including oil. Each council sets its own rules, so contact yours. |
| Scotland | Scottish Emergency Heating Oil Scheme, run by Advice Direct Scotland | Extended into winter. For low-income households, including people on means-tested benefits, and others in financial hardship. Payments go to your supplier where possible. Apply at homeheatingadvice.scot. A Scottish Welfare Fund Crisis Grant from your council can also cover heating. |
| Wales | Discretionary Assistance Fund | An Emergency Assistance Payment can cover heating oil, applied for through an approved partner organisation such as your local Citizens Advice. As of October 2026, Citizens Advice says you might get up to £750 towards a tank of oil, and you can apply up to twice in 12 months. Limits can change, so check with the partner. |
| Northern Ireland | Home Heating Oil Support Scheme | A £100 digital prepaid card where oil is your main heating, if you get a qualifying benefit or you are single or a couple with a net income below £30,000 a year. There is one card per address. You need to qualify on at least one day from 1 to 30 April 2026 or from 1 to 30 November 2026, and apply before the scheme closes on 31 March 2027. Apply on nidirect; the helpline on 0800 072 0266 can help if you cannot apply online. |
Winter payments
- Winter Fuel Payment (England, Wales and Northern Ireland): between £100 and £300 for winter 2026 to 2027 if you were born on or before 27 June 1960. Most people are paid automatically in November or December 2026. If your total income is over £35,000, HMRC takes it back; your partner's income does not count. In Scotland, the Pension Age Winter Heating Payment replaces it.
- Cold Weather Payment (England, Wales and Northern Ireland): paid automatically to people on certain benefits, such as Pension Credit or Universal Credit, each time the average temperature in your area is recorded or forecast at zero degrees or below for 7 days in a row. It depends on the weather and your benefits, not your fuel, so oil-heated homes qualify in the same way. Scotland has a yearly Winter Heating Payment instead.
- Warm Home Discount (England, Wales and Scotland): £150 off your electricity bill for eligible people on benefits. It goes on your electricity account, so homes that heat with oil can still get it.
Grants to cut your heating bills
Grants for insulation and new heating change often, so check what is open when you apply:
- England: the Warm Homes: Local Grant, run through councils, helps low-income households in privately owned homes with poor energy ratings.
- England, Scotland and Wales: the Great British Insulation Scheme has closed and ECO4 is winding down, so ask your council or energy supplier whether it still has funding.
- Scotland: Home Energy Scotland offers a grant and interest-free loan for insulation and heat pumps, with extra for rural and island homes, and Warmer Homes Scotland for eligible households.
- Wales: Nest gives free advice and, for eligible households, free home improvements such as insulation or a heat pump.
- Northern Ireland: ask NI Energy Advice at the Housing Executive about the Affordable Warmth Scheme and other local schemes.
- England and Wales: for a limited time, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme pays extra towards an air or ground source heat pump if your home is heated by oil or LPG and has no mains gas connection; see heating oil, gas or a heat pump.
Where to get advice
Citizens Advice can check what you are entitled to and help you apply; if you cannot afford to buy fuel, your local Citizens Advice can apply for help on your behalf. If you or someone you live with is 75 or over and your supplier belongs to the trade body UKIFDA, check that it has you on UKIFDA's Cold Weather Priority Scheme, so your deliveries are prioritised. Try to keep at least a quarter of a tank while you wait for help or a delivery. When you are ready to order, compare prices for your postcode.
Common questions
Can I get a Cold Weather Payment if I heat my home with oil?
Yes, if you get a qualifying benefit and live in England, Wales or Northern Ireland. The payment is triggered by cold weather in your area, not by the fuel you use.
Is the Winter Fuel Payment means-tested for winter 2026 to 2027?
It is paid to people born on or before 27 June 1960 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, but HMRC takes it back if your total income is over £35,000. Your partner's income does not count.
Do I have to be on benefits to get help with heating oil?
Not always. Northern Ireland's £100 card is open to single people and couples with a net income below £30,000 a year, and Scotland's emergency scheme also covers people in financial hardship.
Is there a price cap on heating oil?
No. The energy price cap covers gas and electricity only. In October 2026 the government said it is not proposing to copy that cap for heating oil, and it agreed in principle to a new regime for heating oil distributors in Great Britain, including a mandatory code of conduct.
Sources
- GOV.UK: Winter Fuel Payment
- DESNZ: Government response to the CMA heating oil market study (13 October 2026)
- nidirect: Apply online for home heating oil support
- Scottish Government: Support extended for households in fuel hardship (25 September 2026)
- Citizens Advice (Wales): Get help if you use oil, LPG, coal or wood to heat your home
Prices on this page are Fueltool's live figures for 25 October 2026: the typical (median) listing for standard heating oil, before VAT unless it says otherwise. How they are worked out.
Today's price
Typical heating oil price today: 114.1p a litre before VAT, about £1,198 for 1,000 litres with VAT.
See today's prices