Financial support applications go live today for North Northamptonshire households who rely on heating oil
Money and debt support28 April 2026
Applications open today for emergency financial support to North Northamptonshire residents who use heating oil as their main or only heating source.
Applicants who are not connected to mains gas, are at risk of running out of heating oil and cannot afford the minimum cost of an oil delivery may be eligible to apply.
If your application is approved, you will receive a £150 Heating Oil prepaid card as a contribution towards your heating oil cost. This will be issued through the HUGGG voucher platform.
The funding is targeted at low income and vulnerable households who use heating oil as their main source of heating, particularly in rural communities.
In March, the Government announced about £50m nationally of support for households struggling with high heating oil costs, following sharp price rises resulting from the Iran war. The money comes to North Northamptonshire as part of the £13.18 million Crisis Resilience fund and marks the first part of its delivery.
Heating oil is not protected by the Ofgem energy price cap, which means households using Heating Oil feel price increases much faster than those on mains gas or electricity. Rural areas, including parts of North Northamptonshire, are among the most affected.
The fund is not intended for everyday or planned oil purchases. It is for emergency situations where low oil levels and the cost of a delivery would put health, safety or basic living conditions at risk.
You may be eligible if all of the following apply:
- you live in North Northamptonshire
- heating oil is your main source of heating and hot water
- your property is not connected to the mains gas network
- your oil tank level is at 30% or less
- your household can not afford to buy the minimum delivery of heating oil (usually 300 to 500 litres) your household savings are below £1,500 (most households) or £6,000 (if aged 66 or over)
Unlike for those who use gas and electricity for their domestic fuel, prices for households using oil are not capped by regulator Ofgem. Since the start of the war, some people using heating oil have seen their bills double, had their orders cancelled or been unable to get supplies at all.Councillor Greg Wilcox, North Northamptonshire Council’s Executive member for Communities
We know this is hitting people in our rural communities hard and families who rely on heating oil don't have the same protections as those on mains gas. If you use heating oil then come forward – help will be available from the council.
How to apply
Before you apply, please make sure you have:
- your national insurance number
- proof you heat your home primarily by oil
- 2 months full bank statements for all accounts (dated within the last 3 months, PDF format is preferred)
- details of any saving, benefits or other income
You will also need to be ready to upload proof of your current oil level, this can be one of the following:
- your latest heating oil invoice
- a clear photo of your oil tank gauge
- a screenshot from a smart oil monitoring app
written confirmation from your oil supplier or heating engineer
Allow around 30 minutes to complete the application form. You can save your application and return to it later, to do this you will need to create an account and be logged in.
Households can register online to Apply for Heating Oil support. People needing help completing the form can visit one of the council’s community service outreach teams. Information on how to apply on behalf of someone will be available on the website. If there are any questions or challenges with the application form email:[email protected]
Applications will remain open until funding is gone. Payment using the prepaid card must be made by telephone, so the cost can be split between the prepaid card and your usual payment method.
You can find details of other help available on our Support Offer pages.