Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he plans to amend the Weights and Measures Act to decrease the 500 litre minimum required for a delivery of heating oil.

At present there are no plans to decrease the 500-litre minimum required for a delivery of heating oil.

For many years the industry standard for a minimum delivery of oil for efficiency reasons has been 500 litres, using mechanical meters calibrated and sealed by Trading Standards using tamper proof seals.

Whilst legislation allows the minimum delivery to be lower than 500 litres using electronic meters, any equipment must meet statutory requirements in terms of the accuracy of delivery, and type approval for the equipment must be obtained.

The vast majority of heating oil delivery vehicles are fitted with mechanical meters only.

The National Measurement and Regulation Office advise that smaller deliveries than the certified amount should not be made without the tankers meter being approved for smaller deliveries.

However due to the costs involved in making smaller deliveries and the reduction of productivity levels, the price per litre is likely to be proportionately much higher.