Heating oil falls below 60p a litre as wholesale markets ease
A mild end to winter and softening crude prices have pushed UK kerosene to its lowest level in 18 months — but analysts warn the reprieve may be short.
UK domestic heating oil — the kerosene that warms roughly 1.5 million rural homes — has dropped below 60p per litre for the first time since autumn 2024, according to data aggregated by comparison brokers this week.
The national average for a 500-litre order sat at 58.4p on Monday, down from 61.5p a fortnight earlier. In parts of the North East and East Anglia, customers were quoted as low as 55p.
What's driving the fall
Two forces are at play. Global crude benchmarks have slipped on softer demand from Asian refiners, and the UK winter has quietly wound down with above-average temperatures through March. Depots that over-ordered for a cold snap that never arrived are now unwinding stock before the summer maintenance window.
"We're seeing households who skipped a top-up in February come back now and save £90 on the same tank," said one Midlands broker.
Should you fill up?
If your tank is below half full, yes. Summer is historically the cheapest window for oil and prices typically drift lower through June before rising again in early autumn. Households with room for a 1,000-litre order can often negotiate an extra 2–3p off.
Just don't assume the low will last. Any Middle East escalation or an early cold October would send the market back above 70p overnight.
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