Home heating oil and LPG crisis: £50m in support pledged by the Government – here's what's happening
Households struggling with the rising cost of heating oil due to the conflict in the Middle East will be able to apply for additional support from 1 April. The Government pledged on Monday 16 March 2026 to put an additional £52.4 million aside to "help the people who need it most".
Below we explain what we know so far on how the support will work in: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, plus what to try in the meantime if you're struggling now.
In addition, the Government has confirmed that it intends to regulate the heating oil sector and introduce new consumer protections in future.
The announcements come after we published a dossier on Thursday 12 March, based on 1,000s of your responses to the heating oil and LPG crisis after MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis asked for your feedback. We also shared this with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, and the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).
Watch: ITV's The Martin Lewis Money Show Live – Tuesday 17 March 2026
Martin interviewed Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Ed Miliband, on ITV's The Martin Lewis Money Show Live on Tuesday 17 March 2026. Here's what happened:
From The Martin Lewis Money Show Live on Tuesday 17 March 2026 courtesy of ITV. All rights reserved. Watch the full episode on ITVX.
Read the full video transcript
Martin Lewis: "Thank you very much for joining us. We're talking home heating oil and LPG. And yesterday [16 March] you announced £53 million of funds to be allocated across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to help people struggling with these hideous price rises. Who will get this money? How will they get the money and when will they get the money?"
Ed Miliband: "So it's vulnerable people who are at the immediate risk of financial hardship. They'll get the money by applying to their local authorities and they can apply now. The reason we've done it this way is we wanted to make the money available immediately. This money comes on top of an existing fund. And so I would encourage people who are in those circumstances to apply to their local authority."
Martin: "Okay. 'Flat to the mat' tweeted: 'Can you define 'vulnerable'? Will all pensioners with oil heating get it?'"
Mr Miliband: "Well, that's going to be a matter for local authorities. And look, one of the things that we've thought about is how do we get the money out of the door quickly? We've learned from the last crisis when Russia invaded Ukraine. It took nearly 200 days to get a scheme up and running. So local authorities tend to know their populations. We've got the money out to them.
"It's not, we haven't specified it's only people on means-tested benefits, for example. So it's as wide a definition as we have. We are going to leave it to the discretion of local authorities. And I hope and believe they will look sympathetically at people because, you, you've drawn attention to this. I've heard it myself. So many people are facing real difficulties and we want to help."
Martin: "I'm afraid 'CB' on Facebook disagrees with you. They say: 'I'm concerned that it's being delegated to local councils. Mine's already strapped for cash and their criteria for help is judged on means-tested benefits and the requirement to be referred by social services, food banks or the like.
'This will exclude a lot of people financially struggling and many like me with serious medical needs and push the proud elderly away, please take it out of the hands of councils.' What are you going to do if council criteria are too strict?"
Mr Miliband: "Well then we'll tell the councils to make them less strict. I mean, look, we will obviously have to judge this as it goes ahead and we will be looking to hear feedback from you and from others and from individuals about their circumstances and whether they've got the help.
"We were rightly hearing the stories of people saying, 'I'm facing a hardship now. I need the help now.' And so we've acted swiftly to do this. I would also say we want to look, and indeed, I believe in principle we should regulate this sector more because I think what we've seen over the last few weeks has illustrated that the sector doesn't have the regulation it needs, and we're determined to change that."
Martin: "Well, I agree, I've been lobbying for regulation for this sector for probably a decade. 'SHS' has tweeted: 'Why is it the Government feels obliged to defend themselves using the Price Cap for 'lowering energy bills for all'? And yet, when it comes to LPG and heating oil, they accept that only means-tested will get any forms of protection.' And this is the biggest question I've had on this. Why are you only helping a few, not the many?"
Mr Miliband: "Well, we're not restricting this to just people on means-tested benefits."
Martin: "But it’s not universal, is it?"
Mr Miliband: "It's not universal. We've got the CMA involved. The Competition and Markets Authority. We want, they're looking intensively at what's happened in the sector. You know, I've been very clear. We cannot have unfair practices, cannot have price gouging. And we are determined to act on those things in the longer-term through regulation, but also through the work of the CMA."
Martin: 'Isakira': 'My husband has terminal cancer, given less than 12 months. I am his and my son's carer and can only work part-time. He's on sick pay at present. We won't be entitled to the Crisis and Resilience Fund, yet I can't afford to pay 150% more for oil to heat our home. We are in rural mid-Devon.
'What would we be entitled to help with my husband being medically vulnerable? Our oil ran out last week. Initially no deliveries available for approximately ten days. Now it's too expensive to afford.' What would you suggest?"
Mr Miliband: "I'm so sorry to hear about Isakira's circumstances. And I would say absolutely she should qualify and she should apply to a local authority. I say to all of your viewers and listeners, Martin, who feel themselves to be in those kind of circumstances or other circumstances of financial distress, they should definitely apply to local authorities. And if they're not getting the help, I want to know about it."
Martin: "Being honest, this is £53 million amongst 1.7 million people, which is an average of £30 each. Even if only one-tenth claim, that's £300, which is still less than many people have seen their bills go up when they're having to run at the moment. I mean, not everyone's going to be able to be helped, are they?"
Mr Milband: "Well, look, I'm not saying this is a universal scheme, but just let's see, because this is £53 million on top of an existing scheme of £1 billion, because it's £1 billion from April 2026."
Martin: "That's the Crisis and Resilience Fund."
Mr Miliband: "That's the Crisis and Resilience Fund."
Martin: "But that's not just for this is it?"
Mr Miliband: "It's not just for this, but we're not limiting the amount of help that people get to just this money. We want people to apply. We want the help to get out the door. I think most local authorities, the vast majority, will also want to help their populations. And look, it's not just that we're giving the money and then sort of letting the local authorities get on with it. We are going to be looking and seeing what people's experiences are in relation to this scheme."
Martin: "Secretary of State, thank you so much for your time. We've had thousands of questions for you. Maybe you'll come on live just before the next Price Cap, and we'll do a whole programme with you. I think that'll be very useful."
Mr Miliband: "Thanks so much. Thanks so much Martin."
England: From 1 April – apply to your council's Crisis and Resilience Fund
The Crisis and Resilience Fund had already been due to replace the existing Household Support Fund from this date. But the Government has now committed a total of £27 million via this scheme to be made available to support low-income families in England using oil heating. Here's what we know...
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Each local authority will determine its own eligibility criteria. Some local authorities may proactively target particular households or groups to make them aware of the support available, but you don't need to wait for this.
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Households using any type of domestic fuel for heating, cooking or lighting can apply. This includes those using LPG, for example.
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The new funding will not be ring-fenced specifically for domestic fuel users. This means local authorities will be given one pot of money and can allocate funds to households as they see fit, rather than having a dedicated fund for heating oil and other domestic fuel users.
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Local authorities will determine how much support you can get. The Government says it should be enough for you to top-up your heating oil to ensure you don't lose access to your heating and hot water. It hasn't, however, confirmed if there will be a cap on the amount received or on the number of times you can apply.
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Each council should have a dedicated webpage where you can apply.
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Successful applicants should receive funds within 48 hours of applying.
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This funding is due to end on 31 March 2027.
Scotland: From 1 April – apply to the Scottish Emergency Oil Heating Scheme
The Scottish Emergency Oil Heating Scheme will launch on 1 April to help low-income Scottish households with their heating oil costs. The £10 million fund will be made up of £4.6 million pledged by the UK Government on Monday 16 March, and a further £5.4 million pledged by the Scottish Government on Tuesday 17 March.
The Scottish Government has said the scheme will be delivered through Advice Direct Scotland and it will publish details on eligibility and how to apply as soon as possible. We'll update this story when we have more details.
How it'll work in Northern Ireland and Wales
To help those struggling with domestic fuel prices it's been confirmed that the devolved governments will receive £3.8 million in Wales and £17 million in Northern Ireland – where a greater proportion of homes rely on heating oil. This funding is also due to end on 31 March 2027.
Other details in Northern Ireland and Wales are scant
We're currently chasing for the following info and we'll update this story as soon as we know more...
Who is eligible for the funding, when it will become available and how to apply for it.
Whether the funding will be available to those on LPG and other types of domestic fuel.
How much people may be able to claim.
How many times people can claim.
How quickly a household can expect to receive any money.
What help, if any, households can receive prior to the funding being distributed.
Struggling now? What to try until 1 April
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In England? Apply to the Household Support Fund. Currently, there's no set eligibility criteria – it's up to each council to decide. But generally, the grant is for those in most need of financial help. You have to contact your council to find out what it offers, whether you're eligible for help, and how to apply.
The Government has said local authorities should provide financial assistance "to those in acute need as soon as possible". -
In Scotland? Apply for a Crisis Grant via the Scottish Welfare Fund. Currently, there's no set criteria to claim – it's up to each local council to decide. But generally, the grant is for those on a low income (you do not need to be in receipt of specific benefits) and for those most in need of financial help. You have to contact your council to apply.
Your council should aim to tell you the outcome of your application within two working days, but some councils are taking longer than this. You can only get three Crisis Grants within a 12-month period, unless exceptional circumstances apply.
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In Wales? Apply for an Emergency Assistance Payment. You can get a payment of up to £750 by applying to the existing Discretionary Assistance Fund, which offers grants to those in "extreme financial hardship".
On Wednesday 18 March, the Welsh Government announced that those who need the funds to pay for heating oil can temporarily get up to £750, instead of the usual £500. It has also said that these households can receive two payments in a rolling twelve-month period, rather than the usual single payment. However, the two payments must be at least three months apart.
Applications made between Monday and midday on Friday will be processed within 24 hours and paid shortly after. -
In Northern Ireland? We've asked what support is currently available and we'll update this story when we know more. But in the meantime, you could try applying for Discretionary Support. This offers grants and interest-free loans to those "in an extreme or exceptional situation or in a crisis which puts you or your immediate family's health, safety or well-being at significant risk".
Yours and your partner's (if you have one) total annual income after deductions must not be more than £28,571.40.
You can also check our Struggling with energy bills and Housing and Energy grants guides for further information on support available.
The heating oil sector has come under pressure to be regulated
Unlike gas and electricity consumers, who are protected by the Energy Price Cap, those who use heating oil and LPG to heat their homes and water have to buy their fuel in an unregulated market, meaning they are often subjected to unfair prices and poor customer service.
In response to the crisis, the CMA has already said it will investigate whether heating oil retailers' practices raise consumer protection law concerns. If they have been breached, it can take enforcement action.
The Chancellor also wrote to the CMA on Friday 13 March on the heating oil crisis, stating that "it is vital that we ensure that customers – particularly consumers and small businesses – are not hit by undue increases in prices at this challenging time". She added: "I will not tolerate any company exploiting the current crisis to make excess profits at customers' expense."
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