LPG users hit with mid-contract surcharges and price hikes following Middle East conflict – your rights and options

Since the outbreak of the conflict in the Middle East earlier this year, we've received dozens of reports from MoneySavers about sudden increases to their LPG prices – and spotted dozens more complaints online. In some cases, those affected say their prices have been hiked despite being locked into multi-year contracts.

In addition, despite an extra £50 million in funding being made available to support households with rising heating costs in England earlier this year, it is down to each individual council as to whether they make support available to LPG customers. We've also seen in some cases councils only advertising support for heating oil customers, which could mean they may not offer support for LPG customers.

We'll be reporting the pricing issues we've seen to regulator the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).

LPG users are often locked into two-year contracts – even if prices rise

Some 200,000 households across the UK use LPG – a gas that's pressurised into a liquid form – because their homes are off-grid. But the LPG market is largely unregulated and lacks key consumer protections, such as the Energy Price Cap and the right to escalate complaints to the Energy Ombudsman.

Commonly, LPG customers are tied to one supplier for up to two years under what's known as an "exclusivity period". If you want to switch before that contract ends, it's likely you'll have to pay a hefty early exit fee – even if your price has been hiked and you're not happy about it. In relation to the recent crisis, here's what major LPG suppliers told us:

• Calor Gas has added a temporary 'volatility surcharge' of 3.4 pence per litre for deliveries on or after 18 May 2026 for those on variable contracts. This is "under regular review". The firm, which is one of the largest LPG suppliers, told us you can't exit your contract early as a result, because its terms allow for a maximum increase of 3.5 pence per litre within any three-month period (unless you're on a fixed-price deal).

• Northern Energy told us that its bulk LPG terms and conditions allow it to raise prices if its wholesale costs rise by more than 20% – even for customers on fixed contracts. We've seen evidence of an email the firm sent to one of its customers in March, alerting them that their 'fixed' price would rise from 49 pence per litre to 64 pence per litre – a 31% rise. When we put this to Northern Energy, it told us that the market had since "stabilised", and as a result it had ultimately honoured the original price.

• FloGas told us it has raised the price of individual LPG cylinders bought out of contract by £3.65. It added that future pricing is under review. The firm said that it hasn't added any surcharges on its variable or fixed LPG contracts.

We've also contacted Avanti Gas and JGas to ask if they've raised prices, and we'll update this story when we know more.

'This price hike has put us under considerable financial strain'

Below are just a few of the complaints from MoneySavers we've spoken to about their experiences:

Unhappy with the hikes? Your rights depend on your contract

If your supplier wants to raise your price or add a surcharge, here's what to try:

• Check your contract to see if it allows for price rises. It should explain when your supplier can raise your price, by how much, and your cancellation rights. Depending on what it says, you can then decide if you have grounds for a complaint – for example, if your supplier is trying to hike your price by more than the contract allows.
  
  Unfortunately, if the price rise is in line with the terms of your contract, there's not much you can do to challenge it – instead, check if you can get support from your council.

• Think your supplier is breaching your contract or treating you unfairly? Complain. It's usually best to do this in writing. You should be able to find more details about the process on your supplier's website.
  
  When making your complaint, it's important that you keep hold of any evidence including receipts, photographs and copies of correspondence, such as letters or emails.

• If necessary, escalate your complaint to the Alternative Dispute Resolution scheme. If your supplier hasn't responded within eight weeks, or you've had a final response that you're not happy with (a 'deadlock letter'), you can escalate it to the free and independent UtilitiesADR service (as long as your supplier is a member of Liquid Gas UK, which most firms are).
  
  UtilitiesADR aims to resolve complaints within 90 days and can order firms to offer redress, such as an official apology or financial compensation.

Check if you're entitled to support from your council

Depending on your circumstances and where you live, you may be able to apply for a grant of up to £750. You can also see our Struggling with energy bills guide for more info on support available.

• In England? You might be able to apply to your local council's Crisis and Resilience Fund. You may be able to apply for a grant to help with LPG costs via your local council's dedicated webpage. Each local authority will determine its own eligibility criteria and how much you can get. Some local authorities may proactively target particular households or groups, but you don't need to wait for this.
  
  As support for LPG users is determined on a council-by-council basis, we asked the Government to provide us with a list of English councils that offer this help – but it told it couldn't as it doesn't collect that data.

• In Scotland? Apply to the Scottish Emergency Heating Oil Scheme. Don't let the name put you off as this support does also apply to LPG customers. Eligible households can receive up to two £300 payments, three months apart, which will be paid directly to your fuel supplier (where possible). You can apply online or call 0800 048 7413.
  
  Alternatively, you can apply for a Crisis Grant through your local council.

• In Wales? Your local council will contact you if eligible. Low-income households on the Council Tax Reduction Scheme who use LPG may qualify for a one-off £200 payment. Your local council will contact you directly and invite you to apply, if eligible. You'll need to confirm the type of heating fuel you use in your home. The scheme runs until 30 September 2026.
  
  Alternatively, you can apply for an Emergency Assistance Payment through the existing Discretionary Assistance Fund.

• In Northern Ireland? You might be eligible for a £100 prepaid card – but the scheme isn't open yet. In April, the Northern Ireland Executive announced a new scheme of support for heating oil customers in the form of a £100 prepaid card that can be used to directly pay heating oil suppliers. The funding is due to end on 31 March 2027.
  
  However, we don't yet know exactly when the scheme will open or whether it will be made available to LPG users. We've put these questions to the Northern Ireland Executive and will update this story when we know more.
  
  In the meantime, you can apply for a Discretionary Support grant or interest-free loan if you're in financial crisis and your annual household income after deductions is less than £28,571.40.

For full info on all the schemes above, plus further info on LPG support, see our Cheap LPG heating guide.