Rural residents call for help as heating oil prices near double last year's level
Rural residents who rely on heating oil are calling for more support as prices top 100p a litre, almost double last year, while rural buses and businesses also face higher fuel costs.
How it was covered
- BBC One was the only channel found covering it.
- Channel 5, BBC News, BBC Two, Channel 4, GB News, ITV and Sky News: not found in tracked broadcasts.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story. Facts only one channel reported are attributed to it.
Rural households that depend on heating oil are calling for more support as winter approaches, after prices climbed to more than 100 pence a litre. The cost is almost double what it was this time last year, and there are no price caps for heating oil. The market is unregulated, so changes in global prices are passed quickly to customers.
About one third of people in the affected rural areas use heating oil to heat their homes. Prices are rising again because of political tensions. Residents say budgeting for an essential part of keeping a home warm has become very difficult. One person said: 'You try budgeting for an essential part of the heating of your home, with prices going almost up to double what you were expecting. It's very difficult.' Others warned that fixed income households and young mothers with children are especially exposed. One said: 'People underestimate just how much poverty there is in the countryside.'
For some rural residents, community buses are a lifeline. They provide door-to-door transport to supermarkets and a chance to meet other people. But diesel prices have reached two pounds a litre, making services harder to run. Several projects in Wiltshire are worried about how they will continue. One non-profit transport provider said it must cover its costs without making a profit. It spent about £3,500 on fuel last year, and this year is set to cost an extra £1,000. Covering that increase will be very difficult.
The government has frozen fuel duty until the end of the year. As temperatures drop and oil prices stay high, calls are growing for more help to keep rural communities warm and connected.
Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |
|---|---|
| Only on one channel | |
| A rural transport provider spent around £3,500 on fuel last year and expects an extra £1,000 this year. | |
| About one third of people in the area rely on heating oil, and global prices are rising again because of political tensions. | |
| Heating oil prices in the area are above 100 pence per litre, nearly double the previous year's price, and are not subject to price caps. | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
The report focuses on rural households, especially in Wiltshire, that rely on heating oil, with a sympathetic consumer-affordability angle. It sets out the unregulated market, the absence of price caps and the wider pressure on rural community buses from diesel costs. It includes calls for more government help but does not carry a government response beyond noting the fuel duty freeze.
- “It's currently at over 100 pence a litre, almost double what it was this time last year, and there are no price caps.”
- “People underestimate just how much poverty there is in the countryside.”
- “We've had about £3,500 we spent on fuel last year and this year is set to be an extra £1,000.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.