Defibrillators 
UPDATE 1 April 2026
Emergency Heating Oil Scheme.
The scheme aims to support households facing increased costs of oil or LPG for heating.
More information will be available on our website homeheatingadvice.scot, which will go live on Tuesday, 31 March.
Applications will open online on Wednesday, 1 April, or households can call 0800 048 7413 for assistance.
Payment will be made directly to the supplier wherever possible.
Eligibility
To qualify for a payment, you must meet the following criteria:
- You are the bill payer in a home for which the primary heating fuel is oil or liquid petroleum gas (LPG).
- The home is your only or main residence.
- You have purchased fuel after 1 April 2026 or are planning to make an order shortly.
- No award has been made to the same household at the same address in the last three calendar months.
Automatic Qualification
You will qualify automatically if you receive any of the following means-tested low-income social security benefits:
- Universal Credit (including Scottish Child Payment)
- Housing Benefit
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
- Income-based Employment Support Allowance (ESA)
- Pension Credit
Discretionary Qualification
You may also qualify through a discretionary decision if you:
- Are in financial hardship, but not currently receiving a low-income benefit, and
- Are at risk of self-rationing, plus meet one or more of the following conditions:
- Priority need for heat or higher energy consumption due to impaired health, age (under 5 or over 75), disability, chronic or serious illness, long-term condition, mental health issue, recent hospital discharge, or end-of-life care.
- Priority need for heat due to geography or rurality.
- Other vulnerability, such as debt, waiting for a benefits decision or appeal, major life event, or recent bereavement.
Andrew Bartlett
Chief Executive
Advice Direct Scotland
On Friday 13th March, the Community Council was able to facilitate a short zoom meeting with the local MP last week about energy price surges for off-grid gas customers. We said heating oil, LPG, solid fuel should all be in the mix.
Since then, UK Government has announced a £53 million UK fund to help heating oil users, of which £4.7 million will come to Scotland.
Scotland: From 1 April – apply to the Scottish Emergency Oil Heating Scheme
The Scottish Emergency Oil Heating Scheme will launch on 1 April to help low-income Scottish households with their heating oil costs. The £10 million fund will be made up of £4.6 million pledged by the UK Government on Monday 16 March, and a further £5.4 million pledged by the Scottish Government on Tuesday 17 March.
The Scottish Government has said the scheme will be delivered through Advice Direct Scotland and it will publish details on eligibility and how to apply as soon as possible. ( Martin Lewis, MoneySupermarket)