Marsh Fuels warns delayed heating-oil orders could leave customers short in a cold snap

Marsh Fuels, a heating-oil supplier serving Berkshire and Hampshire, warned on 30 September that customers delaying tank refills in hopes of lower prices could be caught short if colder weather arrives. The Newbury-based company told the BBC that its sales were below expectations for the approach to autumn, raising concern that some households may need deliveries at short notice.

Dave Marsh said the company believed customers were trying to stretch the oil left in their tanks while waiting for a price dip. That is the supplier’s assessment of its own sales, rather than a measured pattern across the region. Its immediate concern is that a cold snap could reveal tank levels to be lower than customers think, turning a planned refill into an urgent order.

Why customers are waiting to order heating oil

The BBC reported that UK heating-oil prices had risen by about 75% since the Iran conflict began on 28 February, attributing the figure to BoilerJuice. That historical percentage was not independently confirmed from the price provider’s retrieved page. For households paying for a tank refill, the hope of buying after a fall in prices offers a clear reason to wait, even as the remaining fuel has to last longer.

Andrew Illingworth, who arranges oil purchases for residents in Broughton, Hampshire, told the BBC he was handling fewer orders than usual for the time of year. He said many residents were holding off in the hope that prices would go down, while acknowledging that he did not know whether they would. His account adds a local observation to Marsh Fuels’ warning, though neither supplied order totals or a regional survey.

How late orders can affect delivery

The UK and Ireland Fuel Distributors Association says winter is generally the busiest time for distributors. Its consumer guidance says ordering before peak demand can help households receive fuel in good time. It also explains that high demand can strain supply terminals, require distributors to travel farther for fuel and raise costs, particularly for unplanned deliveries. Bad weather can slow delivery routes further.

Those are general industry risks, not evidence of a current shortage or delivery backlog in Berkshire or Hampshire. The BBC’s report establishes that one supplier expected more orders, and that a village purchasing coordinator was also seeing fewer. It does not show how many households have delayed, how full their tanks are or how quickly local firms could respond to a sudden rise in urgent requests.

UKIFDA advises customers to tell their regular supplier when they expect to run out so that deliveries can be prioritised. Its guidance also says customers who still have a good supply should leave room for urgent deliveries when a backlog already exists. That distinction matters here: the association’s advice describes how suppliers handle pressure, while the available reporting does not establish that such a backlog exists locally now.

Why heating-oil prices can change quickly

UKIFDA says heating oil is tied to an international kerosene market that also supplies aviation. Refining costs, currency movements and distribution costs can affect the amount a household pays, and kerosene prices do not necessarily follow crude oil prices exactly. That helps explain why waiting for a lower quote carries uncertainty: a change in one widely reported oil price does not guarantee a matching change in a local heating-oil delivery price.

In March, the government announced more than £50 million of targeted help for low-income households using heating oil after prices surged. It said oil heating sits outside the energy price cap in Great Britain. The announcement allocated £27 million for England, £17 million for Northern Ireland, £4.6 million for Scotland and £3.8 million for Wales, with the English funding distributed through local authorities. It was a March policy announcement, not a new response to this supplier’s September warning.

The same announcement described plans for stronger consumer protections, including greater flexibility over delivery volumes, clearer prices and a priority register for vulnerable customers. The available material does not establish whether those measures have since been implemented or which households can currently obtain support. The immediate decision for customers therefore remains tied to their own tank level, their supplier’s available delivery times and a price that may change before they order.