I won't be able to heat my home..

[Ihateboris]

Due to the war in Iran, I simply cannot afford to heat my home.

I'm on heating oil, and since day 1 of the war, oil prices have risen sharply. I've just done a quick calculation, and to fill my tank today it will cost £550, the day before it all kicked off it would have cost £260. I'm just hoping and praying we have a mild winter. 🙏 Just venting.

We’re the same op but due to redundancy we don’t have enough income to pay for bills and mortgage. There’s no way we can afford the extra money it’ll take to heat the house in winter when there’s not enough money coming in to the household to actually pay for food. Scary times.

I beg your pardon ? this is how you open your message with - due to the war in Iran how dare you- it's to do with energy caps and God knows what other excuses the government and utility companies can think of to put your bill up as they have been high for years - far preceding any war in Iran absolutely outrageous thing to say not to mention green levies loaded onto your bill

much as i love my bungalow they have useless storage heaters which are expensive so i have some economy heaters which really do not cost a lot but to keep it down I am doing the following'
I will be using the heater but the lounge one will only be only for a few hours late afternoon. in the morning i will try to get moving doing jobs cleaning etc but i am quite disabled now so have to be careful.
i have an electric blanket which i will pop on about 6 in the evening and i go to bed about 7 anyway so hence why heater does not have to be on too long
i will pop a similar heater on in the bedroom for an hour when i did put the blanket on.
i have got long sleeved tshirts which will be layer one being on my own this year i shall dress as i want to. over the t shirts maybe a jumper or i have some thick jumper dresses then leggings or tights socks if leggings and boots plus cardigans to top off to keep me cosy
i also have a heated throw for the lounge and am thinking of getting some decent thick throws as i have quite a few but they are getting thinner so are probably ending up in the dogs basket!
also i have a coverless warm duvet but i usually end up chucking a blanket on top of it
finally usual curtains draw thermal curtains doors closed

If you go with a larger company rather than a local one (I use Certas), you can pay monthly which, although the overall cost remains the same, it does mean you can spread the costs somewhat. Also take a look on sites like TopCashaback or Blue Light Card (if you qualify), you can sometimes find discounts on there. Won't bring it back down to previous prices but may help a little

@ihateboris Sorry if this is a bit long, here's what I found from AI. I hope it's accurate and that something might be of help...Here’s a clear, structured list of UK charities, organisations, and official schemes that can help with heating bills — including support specifically relevant to households using oil central heating. All items are grounded in the sources retrieved.
National Charities & Advice Services
National Energy Action (NEA)
The UK’s national fuel‑poverty charity. They offer tailored support for people struggling to heat their homes, including advice on energy affordability, income maximisation, and help with energy debt. Their helpline is open Monday–Friday.

• Helpline: 0800 304 7159
• Support includes: energy advice, advocacy with suppliers, and guidance on grants or local schemes.

Citizens Advice (England, Wales, Scotland, NI) Citizens Advice can explain local council support schemes, help with crisis grants, and advise on budgeting or debt. They are specifically recommended for households using heating oil who need guidance on accessing local support. Society of St Vincent de Paul (Northern Ireland) Provides direct financial assistance for essentials such as food and fuel, including heating oil.

• Phone: 028 9035 1561
• Email: [email protected]

Advice NI (Northern Ireland) Offers independent advice on budgeting and debt, which can help households struggling with heating costs. Nationwide & Government‑Linked Schemes Supporting Oil‑Heated Homes England – Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF) Local councils distribute government funding to vulnerable households using heating oil. Eligibility and payment levels vary by council.

• Best first step: check your local council’s CRF or Local Welfare Assistance page.

Wales – Discretionary Assistance Fund (DAF) Emergency welfare grants for people facing financial hardship, including those using heating oil. Anyone aged 16+ in Wales experiencing a financial crisis can apply. Scotland – Emergency Heating Oil & LPG Scheme Administered by Advice Direct Scotland (ADS). Provides two £300 payments within six months for low‑income households facing increased heating oil or LPG costs. Payments are made directly to fuel suppliers where possible. Northern Ireland – Discretionary Support Interest‑free loans or grants for living expenses, including heating costs. Not oil‑specific but can help households struggling with fuel bills. Oil‑Specific Support & Industry Bodies UKIFDA (UK & Ireland Fuel Distributors Association) Provides guidance on support available for oil‑heated homes and works with government departments. They advise households to check council schemes and compare prices, and they share updates on national support. NIHE Oil Savings Network (Northern Ireland) A buying club/discount scheme for heating oil users. Although the savings scheme is currently suspended, they still offer advice on getting the best prices.

• Freephone: 0800 111 4455

Additional Local Routes (England & Wales) Many councils in rural or off‑grid areas with high oil‑heating prevalence (e.g., Norfolk, Suffolk, Devon, Cornwall, North Yorkshire, Shropshire) offer local welfare grants or crisis payments that can be used for heating oil. These are accessed through each council’s CRF or Local Welfare Assistance pages.

Thanks so much for this information. I'll have a good look through and see if I'm entitled to anything. That was so very kind of you 🩷

Wind your neck in love. Someone's asking for advice and this is your response?

It's awful isn't it? When we've cut our cloth so much there's no cloth yet, what on earth are we supposed to do? Before the conflict in Iran kicked off, i could just about afford the oil, but it's completely unaffordable now.

Thank you. I think that was totally uncalled for!

Can you join a cooperative and get your oil cheaper? We used to do that. If a group of people in the village ordered some oil to be delivered at the same time the price came down.

Weighted blankets are pretty good at adding warmth and don't use any electricity so are worth adding to your mix of staying warm stuff.

Yes, I was completely unaware of this until I started this thread. I've now contacted some neighbours (the whole village use heating oil), so we're going to get it sorted. Thank you

I’d be interested to know how many months savings you’d need to recoup the outlay costs though. We’d love solar panels but calculators predicted it would take 10 years to break even. It didn’t seem worth it to us.

Just to add a bit of information to yours specifically for potential claimants in Scotland. The Scottish emergency heating oil scheme will last until Wednesday 30 September 2026, or until the fund runs out. So if anyone thinks they might be eligible best to get in quick. Mad that the scheme ran from April so has missed the coldest time…

Unless you’re on certain benefits (and although pension credits are mentioned in this case the state pension generally isn’t classed as a benefit for this) you have to show financial hardship by:

“If you DO NOT receive a qualifying benefit but are in financial hardship, you must show:

• Arrears letter / Debt collection letter OR
• Bank statement (less than 3 months old) OR
• Other vulnerability evidence”

It is frustrating that everyone no matter their income is helped by caps on electricity and gas, but for oil, hardship must be proven.

They do work in cold environments if you get the right type - some work in warm environments but for cold environments look for desiccant dehumidifiers. We lived in a very cold damp mouldy home and our desiccant dehumidifier was brilliant because it also heated the room up. Highly recommend a Meaco one (cost us £180 though). I recommend thinking ahead and buying what folk recommend like heated blankets before others do and things start selling out. If you can that is. Hope the winter is mild too OP!

The oil filled radiators are great. My dad used to be an electrician and he said they were much cheaper to run than the type with electric bar elements. I used one my office (converted garage) and gets really toasty. So you can heat say your lounge and then move it to your bedroom and keep on low overnight . Without the fire risk of some.electric heater.
I had an electric fleece blanket for when i was sat on said this year too, which was great, however it broke quite quickly (I may have just been unlucky)

I've actually just collected two oil filled radiators for free from freecycle! It's amazing what people are giving away.

Electric radiators are quite efficient

Would bank statements showed I'm overdrawn help?

Oh bugger. How would I find out? (Apart from plugging in and hoping for the best)?

The war kicked off and oil prices skyrocketed in late February, by the time it actually starts getting cold you would have had 8 months to save up and/or figure out an alternative plan.

Given how much media attention and repetitiveness has been going on about the expected extreme conditions due this winter due to El Niño, you’d think people would have taken the opportunity to plan ahead.

You mentioned you had a niece, so I will presume there are other family members. Are they in a position to chip in a few pounds to help you pay for a tank?

I would hate to think the hard working in my family were going without heating due to finances…

(and I don’t think the oil prices will change much).

I've got a heated pad that you plug in. I think it's meant to be for back pain. Its about the size of a big cushion but flat. I love it. It heats my back to the point I'm boiling really quickly. I take it up to bed too. Its really cheap to run. I've got a heated blanket and a heated under blanket for my bed but this heats me faster. I got it from an online chemist a couple of years ago for about £20.