West Midlands households welcome heating oil protection plan

McCarron, in Hanley Swan, said she felt lucky she had filled her 2,000 litre tank for £1,200 days before the conflict started.

The oil will last their household of four, which includes her mother, daughter and husband, until the autumn.

“Had we ordered it a week and a half later, I think it would have cost us nearly £1,000 more,” she said.

The family has naturally been using less hot water during the heatwaves.

But, mindful of fluctuating costs, they have also been taking steps to reduce their fuel consumption, while “squirreling away that extra little bit of cash”.

“There’s a limit to what you can do with that given it’s our only source of heating and hot water,” she said.

She believes improved protections for heating oil customers are “so important”, but would like more of a push towards renewable sources.

“I think that the real solution is to stop using oil,” she added.

“We’ve been looking into solar panels but there’s very little support out there for people who might want to look at alternate ways for running their household.”