Government announces £53m support for heating oil customers in vulnerable situations

The government announced £53m in financial support for heating oil customers in vulnerable situations in March 2026¹. How that money is delivered, and how much any one household can get, depends on where in the UK they live¹.

In England, local authorities are distributing support through the Crisis and Resilience Fund¹. The fund sets the exact eligibility criteria, the type and amount of support, when it can be paid and how it is received, though low-income households and those in vulnerable situations should qualify¹. The Treasury told Which? that funding should be made available to those in acute need as soon as possible¹.

In Northern Ireland, more than 300,000 households are expected to get £100 towards their heating oil bills, but the scheme has not opened yet¹. Households may qualify if their combined income is £30,000 or less, or if they receive certain benefits including pension credit¹. The payment will come as a prepaid voucher, and when and how people can apply has not been announced¹.

In Scotland, the Scottish Emergency Oil Heating Scheme is run by Advice Direct Scotland¹. Support may be available to people who get a means-tested benefit, are facing financial hardship and have additional vulnerabilities¹. In Wales, households in fuel poverty can get up to £750 towards off-grid fuel costs through the Discretionary Assistance Fund¹. Applicants need an address in Wales and to be aged 16 or over, and can apply more than once as long as requests are at least three months apart¹.

Separately, a £9,000 grant towards installing an air or ground source heat pump is available from 21 July for specific homes in England and Wales replacing oil or LPG heating¹. To apply, households must own the property, be off the gas grid, be replacing an existing heating oil or LPG system and have a valid Energy Performance Certificate¹. Quotes must come from installers registered with the Microgeneration Certification Scheme, and the installer applies for the grant on the household's behalf from Ofgem¹. Grants of up to £7,500 are already available to replace other fossil fuel heating systems, such as gas, with heat pumps or biomass boilers¹.

Heating oil prices have risen sharply. In June 2026 the average price for kerosene was more than £1 a litre, the highest in the eight years Which? has been monitoring prices¹.

Why it matters for households

Households that heat with oil and are not connected to the gas grid are the group affected, and the help on offer differs by nation in amount, eligibility and route of application¹. In Northern Ireland the £100 payment is expected to reach more than 300,000 households, but no opening date has been given, so no one can apply yet¹. In England the amount and timing are decided by each local authority, which means two households in similar circumstances in different areas may receive different support¹. In Wales the £750 maximum is available through the Discretionary Assistance Fund, with repeat applications possible at three-month intervals¹. The heat pump grant is a capital contribution towards a new heating system rather than a payment towards fuel already bought, and it applies to properties in England and Wales only¹. Leaflets about the scheme have been sent to around 200,000 households across England and Wales that might be eligible in recent weeks, and Which? warns that scammers may use copycat materials¹.

What happens next

The Northern Ireland scheme has not opened, and when and how people will be able to apply has not been announced¹. The £9,000 heat pump grant is available from 21 July¹.