Community Development Action Hertfordshire
Heating oil: make rural voices heard
Heating oil: make rural voices heard
Share your experience. Ask your MP to act.
The cost of keeping warm
For households that rely on heating oil, keeping warm means finding the money for a delivery in advance. When prices rise sharply, that can mean difficult choices about when to refill the tank and what else to cut back on.
In its October 2026 open letter, a coalition of rural organisations reports that heating oil prices have risen by around 85% since late February. Heating oil and LPG are outside the energy price cap, leaving households exposed to large and unpredictable costs.
CDA Hertfordshire has joined fellow ACRE Network members, the Rural Services Network and the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations in calling for urgent government action.
What we’re calling for
- A six-month reduction in VAT to zero on domestic heating oil and LPG.
- Consistent eligibility criteria for crisis support across England, ending the postcode lottery.
- Additional, better-publicised help for lower-income households that rely on these fuels.
These are the requests in the joint open letter dated 20 October 2026, which names Community Development Action Hertfordshire among its signatories.
Read the open letter
Download the open letter (PDF) · Open the flipbook in its own page
Tell us your story
How is the cost of heating oil affecting you?
Are you worried about your next delivery, buying less oil or cutting back elsewhere to afford to heat your home? Have you tried to get financial help, and what happened?
Tell us your story in the Rural Voice forums. Your experiences can help us explain what rising heating costs mean for people across rural Hertfordshire and strengthen our calls for support.
Share only what you feel comfortable making public. Please leave out your address, account details and other private information.
Share your story in the Rural Voice forum
Discussions are open to Rural Voice members. Join Rural Voice or log in to take part.
Write to your MP
Ask your MP to support the national call and raise the needs of rural households with the Government. Copy the template below into an email or letter and add your own experience.
Find your MP and their contact details
MP letter template
Dear [MP’s name],
I live in [village or postcode] and am concerned about the cost of heating oil for households in rural communities.
For those who rely on heating oil, a refill means finding a substantial sum of money at once. Sharp price rises make that difficult, particularly for households on lower incomes. Heating oil and LPG are outside the energy price cap.
[If relevant, add a few words about how this affects you, your household or your community.]
CDA Hertfordshire has joined rural organisations across the country in supporting an open letter calling for:
• A six-month reduction in VAT to zero on domestic heating oil and LPG.
• Consistent eligibility criteria for crisis support across England.
• Additional, better-publicised support for lower-income households that rely on these fuels.
Please raise these requests with the Government and press for support for off-grid households in the Autumn Budget.
I would welcome a reply explaining what action you can take and what assistance is available locally to residents struggling to afford heating oil.
Yours sincerely,
[Your name]
[Your address and postcode]
