Almost 1.5 million homes in the UK are dependent on heating oil to power their central heating system. I am in one of them, living too far away from civilisation to connect to mains gas.

The war currently raging in the Middle East has had an almost instant effect on global oil prices, with some unprecedented rises in recent days. The reasons are understandable with Iran blocking the strategic Strait of Hormuz. I also read that Qatar is likely to cease oil production in coming days which will undoubtedly exacerbate the matter.

I was fortunate enough to order my usual 500 litres of kerosene heating oil just before President Trump began his onslaught and I paid just under £320 from one of the UK’s leading suppliers, Boilerjuice.

On checking this morning, they had ceased to take normal orders, and I was offered the option instead to buy 5 x 20 litres fuel boxes. For the meagre 100 litres, I would be charged the frankly outrageous sum of £320.99, almost exactly five times what I recently paid. My A level maths tells me that 500 litres would therefore equate to £1,604.95!

Thinking the world had gone completely mad, I tried another local trusted supplier that could deliver the full 500 litres, and they quoted £850.50.

Unlike electricity and gas supplies, there is currently no price cap on heating oil, something that should surely change. My local MP, Sir Julian Smith, has urged the Government to take immediate steps to support households in rural and off-grid communities who rely on off grid gas and heating oil. He warns that they face far greater exposure to energy price volatility than customers connected to the gas grid.

Raising the issue in the House of Commons, Sir Julian highlighted that many families in North Yorkshire and similar rural areas have no access to mains gas and therefore lack the protections and price safeguards available to most energy customers.

In response, the Energy Secretary acknowledged the seriousness of the issue and accepted that heating oil customers are uniquely exposed to market pressures. He confirmed that this is an area requiring focused attention as the wider energy situation develops. I would add that something needs to be done now!

Please lobby your local MP and Mr Milliband and maybe, just maybe, something may be done to help those most vulnerable at least.