The sharp rise in the price of oil and fertilisers due to the war with Iran is causing concern for many households, farms and businesses in rural communities around Rye.
Households that use oil for heating and hot water have seen the average price of a 500 litre tank double in the last few weeks. With suppliers usually offering a minimum delivery of 500 litres many are struggling to meet the additional costs. However local supplier Rye Oil has responded to this by offering heating oil deliveries in smaller amounts, reducing the minimum amount from 500 litres to 250 litres, while the situation in the Middle East continues. Their heating oil pump in their yard also enables people to take smaller quantities and to top up.
Jon Reardon of Rye Oil says at the moment there is no shortage. “Most of the oil we supply does not come from the Middle East, it comes from crude oil from elsewhere in the world such as the US as the Middle East supplies mainly refined oil such as that used in jet fuel. We do not keep large amounts in storage here which means that with fluctuating prices we can be more reactive with our pricing: we sell at a price based on what we bought the oil for. No-one can be sure of prices in the future but barring any shortages, the cost of fuel may well stabilise in the long-term, as they did after the invasion of Ukraine.”
Unlike for households using gas and electricity, there is no price energy cap for heating oil. In response to this, the government have announced extra funding for low-income families to support those struggling with the increased cost of oil. Funding is available for those using oil as their main source of heating, are on a low income and are at risk for being unable to heat home or have access to hot water. More information about how to apply via Citizen’s Advice 1066 here. Rye Oil are facilitating this locally but those using this support need to apply through Citizen’s Advice and not direct from them.
There are fears that the hike in fuel and fertiliser prices could lead to a rise in rural crime, according to the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) who represent farmers and rural businesses. The CLA South East regional director Tim Bamford warned of the risk of an increase of thefts from farms. “Fuel might be stolen from lorries parked up overnight, or from farm machinery in yards and fields, and we urge everyone to remain vigilant.”
The rise in fertiliser costs will impact food production and is likely to lead to higher food prices Tim Bamford says. “Farmers are watching fertiliser prices jump overnight. For family farms already watching every penny, this is alarming.
“Farmers plan months ahead. They budget and commit to inputs long before a seed goes in the ground. If prices keep rising, many will have no choice but to use less fertiliser, which could reduce yields and cause price inflation to the consumer.”
Image Credits: Rye Oil .
A year of two ago there was heated discussion in this paper about net zero and climate change, proposing actions which I was completely opposed to. I warned then, that the cost of this net zero obsession which is not backed by credible science, would damage our way of life and our economy. The cost of fuel and fertilizer today is simply an outcome of ignoring this advice and ploughing on with this ridiculous ideology. This in fact has little to do with the war in the Middle East, and more connected to that old statement – ‘when the tide goes out, you find out who is not wearing swim trunks’ Indeed with this conflict, the tide is out right now.
Fuel tax for farmers should be significantly reduced. We rely on farmers to feed us as best they can. The cost of importing more food must outweigh the cost of fuel price reduction.
Mr Williams has got his facts back to front – to borrow from the swimming trunks metaphor (although I don’t entirely understand the context of the phrase). The cost of the net zero transition is definitively and irrefutably backed by science. Largely in the form of the IPCC which is made up of scientists from all over the world, including from oil producing countries. The physics are simple. Think of CO2 emissions as though they were coming from a tap into your bath. But the plug (the natural systems that absorb CO2) is not big enough to swallow the increasing quantitiy of man-made emissions. So temperatures rise, weather extremes increase and what are called feed-back loops (where natural systems like forests and the warm ocean currents simply implode). Leading to worsening heat. Leading to the end of civilisation as we know it. This is not ‘ideaology’. It is science. People in white coats and labs who know stuff. Renewables are now far cheaper than fossil fuels. Fact. Prove it’s not true if you can. We have plenty of sources in the UK. Once installed and the grid upgraded to manage balances of supply and demand (which it already does but needs to do more) then energy costs drop radically. The cost of transition? UK analyses suggest that estimated macroeconomic costs of delivering net zero have fallen over time as technology costs dropped, with co‑benefits in the tens of billions of pounds per year. This from the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit. Note the use of the word ‘Intelligence’ – they rely on facts not myth or bias.
The real costs of importing these costly wind turbines from China, the decommissioning them after their life span,and most parts cannot be recycled, outweighs the positives to these hideous windmills, which are desecrating our marshes,and killing wildlife, I and many thousands of people do not think this is away forward, we are surrounded by water on our little island,and its time our electricity was generated by water power.
John, sigh. Wind generated around 85 TWh of electricity in 2025, about 30% of our needs. Many of those are manufactured here in the UK, by Siemens Energy and others. Blades are increasingly being recycled. Domestic cats in the UK kill roughly 55 million birds per year, while wind turbines are estimated to cause between 10,000 and 100,000 bird deaths annually. You, and many thousands of people, may no doubt not believe it is the way forward. But science says otherwise. Sorry.
John Tolhurst has got his facts wrong I’m afraid. The installed cost of a Chinese made industrial scale wind turbine is lower than western sourced turbines, and installation has a clear ROI over several years, otherwise it would not happen. They can be – and are – recycled. Note that some countries have cleverly converted end-of-life turbines into bus shelters which look very graceful! The ‘hideous’ arguement is a matter of personal opinion. I think they look wonderful. Water/tide power is indeed an option and being worked on but there are environmental challenges – I am sure they will be overcome. The big picture is simple. Energy independence relies entirely on self sufficiency of – guess what – renewables, including wind. We will not be able to rely on solar, hydro, nukes and tide alone. I do wish observers would do their research before making assumptions