Trade Association for Oil Heating Industry – 2017 Budget Reaction

Last week’s budget was a historic event – the first Budget in November but the FPS, the trade association for the oil distribution industry in the UK and Republic of Ireland, hoped that Chancellor Phillip Hammond would reduce fuel duty or vehicle excise duty rates for commercial vehicles.  At the same time the FPS was pleased that the vehicle excise duty for new diesel cars not meeting latest standards was not applied to vans, lorries or tankers.

FPS President, Jodie Allan said: “The Budget did produce some good news for households but was not very exciting and it also didn’t deliver any great help for many small business owners many of whom are our members.”

In the run up to the budget, the FPS has been lobbying the Government on various fronts for the off-grid heating oil industry.

The oil and fuel distribution sector is a key but largely un-regarded part of the supply of fuels particularly to customers who are off the gas grid and the FPS had written to ask Mr Hammond to recognise this sector and do more to assist both the homeowners and our members.

Jodie said: “The FPS represents 80% of heating oil distributors across the UK and our members operate at very low margins and so not raising fuel duty or vehicle excise duty rates for hauliers will assist our members but reducing fuel duty would have helped members further and we also wanted to see additional measures to help the customers of our members – the 1.25 million mainly rural homeowners who are off grid.”

For more information visit www.fpsonline.co.uk

27th Nov 2017