Questions have been asked in Parliament over the rising cost and availability of heating oil during the winter months.

The price of heating oil has been relatively stable through most of 2010, but rose from 39p/litre to 71p/litre in less than a month during November.

During a debate in the House of Commons, Conservative MP Dr Thérèse Coffey said one constituent had “switched off his heating system as a consequence”.

There have also been allegations that oil companies are fixing their prices during the cold weather, and Energy Minister Charles Hendry has said the Department of Energy & Climate Change (DECC) was in “regular contact with energy companies”, and that the Office of Fair Trading was “keeping a very close eye on the situation”.

He noted, however, that heating oil is “a seasonal product, and its prices vary over the course of the year”. Hendry said the time it takes to secure deliveries of heating oil were “an important issue”, adding that “people are being told that they will not receive a delivery for three to four weeks”.

Any further snow could be “very serious indeed”, he added.

Labour MP Tom Watson described the issue as an “oil supply crisis”.

Chris Huhne, Secretary of State for Energy & Climate Change, said the government was “attempting to ensure that people don’t have too much so there is enough to go around”, leading to speculation that rationing may be introduced if the situation worsens through the winter months.

Oil is the main fuel used for heating and cooking in approximately 1.5 million households across the country, who do not have access to the mains-gas grid.