MP welcomes heating oil help for rural homes

By Laura Linham 17th Mar 2026

Local News by Laura Linham 1 hour ago

Sarah Dyke has welcomed new Government support for households hit by soaring heating oil costs, but said ministers must move fast to get help to rural families in Somerset. The Liberal Democrat MP for Glastonbury and Somerton said vulnerable homes relying on off-grid heating had faced "eye-watering" price rises in recent weeks.

The Government announced more than £50 million of support on Monday, 16 March 2026, for households struggling with rising heating oil costs. Official Treasury figures show the package is worth more than £53 million across the UK, with funding to be distributed through councils in England via the new Crisis and Resilience Fund from April. Government material seen by Nub News refers to more than £50 million overall, while wider reporting says England's share is lower than the full UK total, so ministers have not presented the England-only figure as £53 million.

Ms Dyke said the announcement would bring relief to vulnerable households after sharp increases in kerosene prices. She said some families had seen prices rise dramatically and warned many rural residents had been worried about how they would afford to top up their tanks.

The MP said she had pressed ministers to act by raising the issue in Parliament, writing to the Energy Secretary and attending an urgent Treasury meeting. Earlier this month, she called for stronger protection for off-grid homes and argued that households using heating oil were far more exposed to sudden global price shocks because they are not covered by the energy price cap.

Dyke also said a large share of rural homes in and around her constituency depend on heating oil, making the issue especially important in Somerset villages and smaller communities. Government guidance says the Crisis and Resilience Fund is intended to support low-income households facing sudden financial shocks, including energy-related pressures.

Her intervention comes as rural fuel costs remain a major concern for households outside the mains gas network. The Treasury said the support is aimed at low-income families who may need to pay large upfront sums to refill heating oil tanks, while also promising tighter consumer protections in the sector.

Ms Dyke said the priority now was making sure councils received the money quickly and that support reached households without delay. She also renewed Liberal Democrat calls for longer-term protections for people reliant on heating oil, including a VAT cut and a cap similar to protections in other parts of the household energy market.