Heating oil: Berkshire councils drafting policy for financial aid

A decision by councils in Berkshire on how to distribute financial support for people reliant on heating oil will take some time despite government confirming extra aid. Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer announced last month that £53m will be distributed nationwide after prices soared as a result of the US-Israel war with Iran. But local authorities must draft policies on how they will distribute their share of the money to the people who need it, before getting council approval. Stuart McKellar, Bracknell Forest Council's executive director of resources, said: "As it is a new scheme, the details on how and where the funding will be used is still being determined." It is estimated up to 30,000 households across Berkshire use heating oil, with 3.6% of households nationally reliant on the fuel. Unlike consumers who use gas and electricity for heating and hot water, prices for households using oil are not capped by regulator Ofgem. Jonathan Pinnock, director at Thatcham-based JPS Fuels, said its prices doubled in a week after the war started in February. "Obviously, we are a business, we had to pass the costs on," he said. "Everyone who ordered before the war kicked off got their fuel a