Rural families need more targeted support against rising heating oil prices

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Rural families living in Yorkshire need urgent targeted financial support to help mitigate the rising cost of heating oil.

The price of domestic fuel – including heating oil and liquified petroleum gas, which are essential resources for many rural families whose homes are not connected to the gas grid – have risen significantly since the beginning of the year.

Households saw the price of heating oil more than double in the immediate aftermath of the US-led strikes on Iran, which caused turmoil among the global oil market.

Now, as the government pledges further financial support to families ahead of the coming winter season, Community First Yorkshire, ACRE Network member for North, South and West Yorkshire, is joining calls for any new help to be extended to homes reliant on alternative fuel sources.

Recently, Ofgem announced the energy price cap would be increasing by four per cent from October, meaning the average family will likely pay around £60 more each year for their gas and electricity.

However, the price of a single litre of heating oil, which is not covered by Ofgem’s price cap, stood at 94p* on Wednesday 2 September 2026 – approximately 82 per cent higher than on the same day last year.

It means 1,000 litres of heating oil, which is the standard delivery offered by most suppliers, would now set the average rural family back by almost £940.

Dena Dalton, Deputy Chief Executive at Community First Yorkshire, said: “We are facing a rural cost of living crisis for energy, and it’s one that is having a very real and measurable impact on many families living in Yorkshire.

“With the approach of colder weather, there is now a pressing need for the government to make meaningful decisions and reassure rural people that they have not been forgotten.

“As a proud member of the ACRE Network, which exists to speak and act on behalf of all rural communities, we are joining the wider call for more targeted financial support to be offered to households that have no choice but to use heating oil or LPG to stay warm.

“Living off the gas grid is already a challenge – with fuel needing to be purchased in advance and in bulk, before then being physically delivered to each address – and the sustained volatility of the heating oil market since March has only added to the stress, worry and anxiety felt by all off-grid energy users.”

Action with Communities in Rural England, the national umbrella organisation for the ACRE Network, has already written to ministers with several policy proposals that, if implemented, could provide families with some limited breathing room.

One suggested action is the immediate removal of the five per cent VAT currently added to all heating oil purchases.

At current prices, the move would save the average rural family around £45 per 1,000 litre purchase.

Corinne Pluchino, Chief Executive, Action with Communities in Rural England, said: “We are grateful that our network of 37 member charities is backing our call to get more targeted support for those off the gas grid delivered in time for winter.

“We remain keen to work with the government on any initiatives that can help these rural families keep energy costs down, and hope that a positive announcement will be made very soon, and before the real cold weather sets in.”

For further information on Community First Yorkshire, visit www.communityfirstyorkshire.org.uk, and to find out more about the work of ACRE, visit www.acre.org.uk.

 

*Source: www.boilerjuice.com [correct as of 2 September 2026]

Our day at Ripon Cathedral’s Rural Housing Conference

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Support to tackle rising heating oil costs for households

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Mayor Skaith to boost community hubs with new £1.35 million fund

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Government planning proposals must secure more genuinely affordable rural homes

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Recognising that the lack of genuinely affordable homes in the countryside is one of the biggest problems facing rural communities, Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE) has responded to the government on plans to revise planning policy and speed up development to drive economic growth.

Although the organisation broadly welcomed the proposals, they highlighted key areas where more work is still needed:

  • define genuine affordability
  • control second homes and short term lets
  • plan the delivery of rural affordable housing
  • development should be genuinely sustainable
  • more should be invested in the development of neighbourhood plans.

Commenting, Community First Yorkshire Chief Executive, Jane Colthup, said:

“There is a lack of truly affordable homes for people in North Yorkshire, most especially in our rural communities.

“We wholeheartedly endorse the feedback ACRE has provided and continue to support the work of various strategic groups in North Yorkshire charged with improving the supply of affordable rural housing.

“For example, earlier this year we carried out a housing needs survey for Craven Community Land Trust, which ultimately demonstrated the need for an additional 43 affordable homes across four parishes. We are also delivering the Defra Rural Housing Enablers Programme in North Yorkshire and have recently begun providing community led housing support in the Nidderdale National Landscape area, thanks to funding from the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust.”

Read the ACRE response to the government

Community First Yorkshire welcomes arrival of Project Gigabit

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Today’s announcement by Telecoms Minister, Chris Bryant, that more than 4,500 rural homes and businesses across Yorkshire are now able to access superfast broadband services has been welcomed by Jane Colthup, Chief Executive of Community First Yorkshire.

The improved services are being introduced thanks to local investment of £60m – part of the government’s £5 billion national flagship programme known as Project Gigabit. Up to 28,000 connections in hard-to-reach rural areas will come on-stream once the full roll-out is complete in 2030 with the goal of driving economic growth and fixing the digital divide that plagues people living and working in remote areas.

Speaking on BBC Radio York today (26 September) Jane said: “This is fantastic news that rural communities in North Yorkshire are to get the same superfast speeds as the rest of the world. To improve people’s access to work opportunities and crucial services such as remote health and welfare support, good broadband is absolutely vital and for so long that’s not something we’ve been able to access sufficiently in North Yorkshire.”

Discussing the news, she also highlighted the importance of better connectivity to improve social inclusivity in rural areas – so important to help older people keep in-touch with friends and family.

While welcoming the news, Jane added that access to digital support and training is also crucial to make sure people can make the most of better connectivity and the opportunities it brings. This is something Community First Yorkshire has been focused on with its Digital Inclusion Project , backed by North Yorkshire Council and the NHS in North Yorkshire.

The lack of adequate mobile phone coverage in North Yorkshire was another ongoing issue, she said, with so-called mobile ‘not-spots’ impacting on rural residents and businesses. “This is a fundamental requirement of everyday living in the 21st century,” she added.

To listen to the interview in full, click on the image below.

 

Read more about Project Gigabit on the government website.

How can affordable housing help you?

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Living in rural North Yorkshire is an aspiration for many, but the reality often falls short due to the lack of available affordable homes.

Many people who grew up in rural areas are likely to want to remain in their home village, especially if their family and close friends are there too.

We’re working with North Yorkshire Council Rural Housing Enablers to explore what housing people need.

Chat to Rural Housing Enablers about your housing needs if you live in parts of Ryedale

  • Do you live in or have a family member who have previously lived in one of the following parishes – Claxton, Sand Hutton, Gate or Upper Helmsley, Warthill, Buttercrambe with Bossall?
  • Are you in Housing Need?
  • Are you having difficulty in finding a home to rent ahead of buying an affordable home?
  • Are you an Employer having problems recruiting or retaining staff?
  • Is there a lack of affordable houses (to buy or rent) in the parish/es where you live?
  • Have you had to move away due to the lack of affordable housing?
  • Do you own a small piece of land, that could be considered for an affordable housing development?

If you answered YES to any of these questions, please pop along to Claxton & Sand Hutton Village Hall on Thursday 26 September between 3 – 7pm for an informal chat with one of the Council’s Rural Housing Enablers.

For more information email affordablehousing@northyorks.gov.uk

No rural community left behind

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Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE) is urging politicians of all persuasions not to forget the needs and circumstances of people living and working in the countryside in the run up to the general election.

The charity claims that for too long, governments have overlooked the challenges that rural residents face, including diminishing public services, inadequate infrastructure, and housing which has become increasingly unaffordable resulting in hidden poverty and ageing communities.

Politically, the issues facing rural communities clearly matter – from recent shock by elections in North Shropshire, Tiverton and Honiton, Somerton and Frome and Mid-Bedfordshire, to Dorset Council changing control in May. A further 50+ rural parliamentary constituencies are also predicted to change hands at the general election based on current polling data.

Jeremy Leggett, ACRE’s Policy Adviser said, “9.7 million people live in the English countryside, equivalent to the population of London. But more often than not, they don’t get the same attention from the government as their counterparts in the city. And people are starting to recognise this – whether it be disgruntled farmers protesting for the first time about cheap imports, young families given notice to leave their rental property to make way for another Airbnb letting, local businesses flooded again in Worcestershire, or pensioners unable to make their way to hospital because there’s no local clinics or public transport.

“We believe lots can be done to close this gap, from creating a new statutory advisory body charged with requiring government departments to appraise the impact of policies on rural dwellers, to funding much more community-led housing, and supporting villages to develop plans so they can become more resilient to climate change.”

ACRE has set out a suite of policy recommendations for the next government which it is sending to prospective parliamentary candidates via its 38 member organisations, of which Community First Yorkshire is one, which work in support of rural community initiatives in every county of England. It is hoped the publication this will trigger a debate about what it means and takes to represent rural communities in 2024.

James Blake, Chair of ACRE said, “We know from our experience of managing recent grant funds for village halls that even a modest amount of government investment targeted at rural communities can spur on some impressive initiatives that respond to local needs. So, we hope the next government will recognise the value of proactively rural proofing policy so that even more opportunities are afforded to the people who live and work there, whether that be investing in services, infrastructure and affordable housing, or backing projects that contribute to Net Zero. We stand ready to help those in Westminster to ensure that no rural community is left behind.”

Download ACRE’s ‘No Community Left Behind‘ report.

Notes to editors

Press contact: Phillip Vincent, 01285 425645, p.vincent@acre.org.uk

ACRE (Action with Communities in Rural England) is a charity speaking up for and supporting rural communities. It is the national body of the ACRE Network, England’s largest rural grouping of charities which facilitate a wide range of community-led initiatives that encourage a culture of volunteering and mutual aid, reduce social isolation and loneliness, increase the supply of affordable housing, boost the local economy, and reduce impact on the environment.

£7m investment in rural community green spaces

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A new fund of up to £7 million has been announced by the government to boost access to nature and support rural communities across England wanting to become more green-fingered.

The new Community Green Spaces Fund will provide funding to help communities create, restore and enhance their green spaces.

Grants of up to £75,000 will be provided to help communities plant fruits, vegetables and trees, creating orchards and kitchen gardens for all to access and enjoy. Landscaping projects could also create raised beds and improve areas to plant different flowers around village hall facilities and other community green spaces, making space for pollinators and nature to thrive.

Expansion of natural play facilities

Funding will also be awarded to support the expansion of natural play facilities that encourage children to spend more time outdoors, in addition to projects that focus on improving access to green spaces such as new paths and seating. To make the spaces more accessible to disabled people, funding will also be available for the creation of disabled parking spaces.

Further support for village halls

An additional £5 million of funding for village halls has also been announced to support capital improvement projects, such as building extensions and the installation of wi-fi. This follows the £3 million of funding made available to mark Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee.

Potential to improve the health and wellbeing of local residents

Richard Quallington, Executive Director at ACRE said:
“We welcome the government’s commitment to supporting rural communities so they can make the most of green spaces. The fund has the potential to support a wide range of initiatives that contribute to Net Zero and biodiversity net gain, as well as improving the health and wellbeing of local residents.

“We know from our experience of administering recent grants to village halls that the availability of capital funding can catalyse new projects, many of which have had an environmental focus. We stand ready to support this new scheme.”

The Department for the Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs (Defra) is working with Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE) to scope the Community Green Spaces Fund with applications expected to open in early summer.