Cost of living pressures and soaring prices expose gaps in bulk fuel checks

Posted 16/03/26

 The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) welcomes the government’s announcement this week of a £53 million support package for households affected by rising heating oil costs, having long called for targeted support for consumers who rely on heating oil. Unlike mains gas and electricity, heating oil is not covered by Ofgem’s energy price cap, leaving consumers fully exposed to sudden market increases.

Targeted support is an important step in helping households who rely on heating oil to manage these pressures, particularly in rural areas where alternatives are often limited or simply do not exist. Effective enforcement and inspection activity remains essential to ensure consumers receive the quantity of fuel they pay for and that the market operates fairly.

Consumer advocates including Martin Lewis have recently raised concerns about sharp increases in heating oil prices. Recent data shows the price for heating oil has risen by almost 110% over the past week, a knock-on effect of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and fluctuating oil prices.

In addition to soaring prices, CTSI warns that households already under financial pressure could face another critical issue: ensuring that heating oil deliveries are accurately measured so consumers receive the full amount of fuel they have paid for.

In England and Wales, over 860,000 homes rely on heating oil, while in Wales roughly 28% of rural homes use it as their primary heating source. In Scotland, Trading Standards officers estimate that individual heating oil tankers can deliver an average of around 3 million litres of fuel each year, yet these vehicles may operate for long periods without any inspection of their measuring equipment.

Each of these tankers relies on meter measuring systems to determine the quantity of fuel delivered to consumers. Under Weights and Measures legislation, Trading Standards officers are responsible for checking that these systems are accurate and properly sealed.

However, open source national inspection figures suggest that these checks are now rarely carried out due to a lack of resources, from years of Government cut backs and underinvestment in the local Trading Standards service. Data submitted to government through the statutory Section 70 Weights and Measures returns shows that in 2024 to 2025 only 13 out of 189 local authorities in Great Britain reported inspecting any bulk fuel tankers. Even where inspections were recorded, they did not always involve testing the accuracy of the meter measuring system. Some authorities have even reported selling metrology equipment or scaling back inspection work because they no longer have officers available to undertake it.

The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) acts as the UK’s national regulator for Weights and Measures and has a role in setting direction for local enforcement. Yet evidence from across the profession suggests that this critical area is not receiving sufficient national focus or priority, which could be damaging to our economy and erode consumer confidence.

The situation is somewhat different in Northern Ireland where the use of bulk fuel jumps to over 60% of homes relying on heating oil as their primary source of heating. The Northern Ireland Trading Standards Service estimates that more than 800 heating oil tankers operate across the province delivering fuel to households. The service works closely with the heating oil industry to ensure compliance with consumer protection rules on pricing transparency and contractual practices.

CTSI Lead Officer for Legal Metrology, Iain Hoey, said: “Most Trading Standards Services across Great Britain lack the specialist equipment and facilities required to carry out effective bulk fuel inspections. With recent rapid increases in fuel prices, it is more important than ever that UK consumers can be confident they are receiving exactly what they pay for.

“The current situation reminds us of the importance of Local Authority Trading Standards services having the ability to conduct bulk fuel oil inspection. CTSI therefore urges the Government to ensure that legal metrology remains a priority to prevent risks to consumer in the future.” 

Trading Standards teams across Great Britain have faced significant reductions in funding over the past decade. Evidence submitted to Parliament shows that Trading Standards budgets have fallen by around 50% following successive reductions in local authority funding. As a result, services must increasingly prioritise the highest risk enforcement work, and the checking of accurate measurements is rarely prioritised even though this can result in huge amounts of consumer detriment for consumers.

At the same time, the wider impact of consumer detriment continues to grow. Recent research suggests that poor services, unsafe goods, and unfair trading practices cost UK consumers approximately £71.2 billion in 2024 alone, affecting one third of consumers.

Despite these pressures, Trading Standards enforcement continues to deliver significant value. CTSI estimates that Trading Standards activity prevents at least £11 in consumer and business detriment for every £1 invested in the service.

John Herriman, Chief Executive of CTSI, said:

“When households are already under pressure from rising living costs, consumers should have confidence that they are receiving exactly what they pay for. Trading Standards services play a vital role in ensuring markets operate fairly and in protecting consumers from detriment. However, years of reductions in local authority funding have reduced capacity across the profession, particularly in specialist areas such as legal metrology.

“CTSI is therefore calling for renewed investment in local Trading Standards services, including additional funding and specialist training, to rebuild inspection capacity and ensure these important consumer protection checks can continue.”

CTSI is calling for renewed investment in local Trading Standards services, including additional funding and specialist training for legal metrology work. The Institute has previously proposed a phased increase in funding for local authority Trading Standards, rising to £100 million over four years, alongside measures to ensure that funding is protected for enforcement activity.

ENDS

Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) 

The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) is a national not for profit established in 1881 which supports the UK’s Trading Standards profession, and works to protect consumers and safeguard honest businesses. CTSI's members are engaged in delivering frontline Trading Standards services at local authorities and in businesses. www.tradingstandards.uk 

Please contact CTSI Press Office: [email protected] for any queries. 

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