THOUSANDS of households will be given emergency cash help with their energy bills.
Families in West Northamptonshire who use heating oil to warm their homes will be able to access the support from their local council.
West Northamptonshire Council said eligible residents will receive a Post Office CashOut Voucher which can be redeemed for cash at any Post Office branch.
The money should then be used towards the cost of buying heating oil.
More than 1.7million households in England and Wales rely on heating oil, with 10,000 of these in Northamptonshire.
Heating oil prices have surged to nearly double or even triple what they were in February in some rural areas.
Read more on energy bills
The prices have been pushed up by the ongoing war in the Middle East which has disrupted fuel supply chains and global fuel shortages.
Unlike gas and electricity, heating oil prices aren’t capped so households are at the mercy of global markets.
West Northamptonshire Council said its support will run until March 31 and will help households who can’t afford the minimum cost of an oil delivery and are at immediate risk of running out.
It said it would use the remaining resources from its Household Support Fund (HSF) scheme to foot the cost.
Residents may be eligible if they:
- Live full time in West Northamptonshire
- Use heating oil as their main way of heating their home
- Have 150 litres or less, with priority given to households under 100 litres
- Cannot afford the minimum order required for a delivery
- Are at immediate risk of being unable to heat their home
Applicants will be asked to provide proof they use oil heating, such as a recent invoice, bank payment to an oil supplier, EPC, or tenancy agreement.
They’ll also need to provide proof of their current oil levels, including a dated photo of the tank gauge and tank size.
Plus, they will need to show financial information such as bank statements from the last month, recent income details, and any savings.
The support will not cover the full cost of an oil delivery but it will contribute towards it.
If you want to request an application form, you should email HSFA@westnorthants.gov.uk.
How can I get support if I’m not in West Northamptonshire?
The Government last week revealed an emergency £53m support package for heating oil customers.
Sir Keir Starmer said the funds would go to “those households that are most exposed” to eye-watering price hikes.
Key details are still being ironed out but the support will be delivered through the new Crisis & Resilience Fund (CRF) from April 1 2026.
The CRF is replacing the popular Household Support Fund scheme next month and will see Government funds distributed to local councils to help support low-income households.
The heating oil funding will mostly be handed out to areas with higher rates of oil-heated homes.
It will go to those at immediate risk of losing hot water.
You may need to apply to your council’s CRF scheme to get the help – check your local authority’s website to see if any information has been provided.
If you need help before the scheme starts, you should apply to your council for support.
However any cash will need to come from existing budgets.
A total of £17million in funding has been allocated to Northern Ireland as more homes there rely on heating oil, while England will receive £27million, Scotland will get £4.6million and Wales will get £3.8million.
It will be given directly to the devolved governments with the expectation it will be passed on to vulnerable households.
The Government also plans to provide stronger consumer protections for heating oil customers, including looking at creating a new ombudsman or regulator.
It will also support the Competition and Markets Authority’s plans to look into the UK’s heating oil industry.
How to claim tax back on energy bills when working from home
TAX can be claimed back on up to £6 a week to help cover the additional costs of working from home, such as higher energy bills.
Prior to April 6 when the new financial year began, tax could be claimed back on expenses of up to £4 a week.
For those paying the standard tax rate of 20%, £1.20 per week can be claimed.
While for people who pay tax at the higher rate of 40%, £2.40 per week can be claimed.
Additional rate tax payers who pay 45% can claim £2.70 a week.
To claim tax back on working from home costs complete a P87 from online.
It’s fairly straightforward with a Government Gateway account which you may already have or you can set up, or you can complete a paper P87 form.
In the section called “using your home as an office”, you’ll be asked to enter the amount you paid.
You won’t have to show receipts or prove this is how much you spent.
You’ll also be asked to enter the amount repaid by your employer. This will be zero if you haven’t been reimbursed.
If you have been reimbursed you can’t claim back the tax – your employer has already included this.
You usually get the money back by paying less tax, rather than receiving a refund. Your tax code may be adjusted to show this.
The time it takes for this to happen can vary and there are likely to be a larger number of claims than usual so there could be delays.
