Heating oil customers see orders cancelled and prices hiked

Households relying on heating oil have seen their bills double, orders cancelled - and some have been unable to get heating oil at all - since the US and Israel began their assault in Iran. About 1.7 million households in England and Wales rely on kerosene for heating and hot water but, unlike gas and electricity, prices are not capped and are subject to volatility. Nicki Weetman from Sturminster Newton, Dorset, is undergoing chemotherapy so needs to keep warm but says she is rationing her use after a supplier cancelled their delivery. Boiler Juice, an intermediary website which took the order on behalf of supplier Tincknell Fuels, said the industry aimed to prioritise deliveries for vulnerable customers and urged the Weetmans to get in touch. Unlike mains gas, heating oil has to be ordered and delivered in bulk every few months to a tank attached to each property. Many households order through oil clubs or online marketplaces such as Boiler Juice which match customers with the best deals. Weetman says she paid £346 for 500 litres through Boiler Juice on 28 February - the first day of air strikes in Iran - but on 9 March, delivery day, was refunded and quoted £841 to re-order. The