BBC News reported on Nov. 6 that some Sussex households using heating oil, rather than mains gas, are struggling to pay for a refill. Sheila Williams of Golden Cross said her bill had doubled since the start of 2026 and that she took a winter waitressing job to help. Nigel Wanstall of Sheffield Park said he could not afford to fill his tank.
Those are two households, not a county average. The BBC said a 1,000-litre fill could cost more than £970. Jon Reardon of Rye Oil, which supplies 15,000 customers in south-east England, said the average oil price had doubled since the Middle East war began and that some customers were delaying orders.
A government spokesperson said ministers had pledged £53 million for vulnerable households on heating oil and had removed a 4% tariff on home heating oil. Energy minister Polly Billington said suppliers would be held to a fairer-deal standard. Neither statement showed a new price for every Sussex tank or that the £53 million had already reduced a named bill.
Does the £53 million pledge cut every Sussex heating-oil bill? No. It is support described for vulnerable heating-oil households, plus removal of a 4% tariff. It is not a new price for every tank.