We are often asked what clients should consider when buying a rural property and one of the key things to consider is how the property is heated.

Most rural properties don't have a mains gas supply which means that their heating is fuelled by either electricity, liquefied natural gas (LNG) or most commonly oil. As you may have seen in the press in recent weeks LNG and oil are not covered by the Ofgem energy price cap and the price of domestic heating oil has increased from around 60p per litre in 2024 to over £1 per litre currently. If you're buying a rural property you should ask the seller about the average annual cost of heating the property and then factor in the fact that the cost may increase substantially, especially in periods of high demand such as a cold snap in the middle of winter when people decide to stock up.

If a property is fuelled by LNG or oil it will have its own storage tank and you should get your surveyor or a suitably qualified heating engineer to inspect the tank and confirm it complies with the relevant current regulations. If the seller has recently replaced the oil tank then there should also be an OFTEC certificate to confirm that the new tank has been installed in compliance with current building regulations. You should also ensure that the tank is checked every year when the boiler is serviced.

You should also check that your proposed insurance cover for the property includes fuel spills or leaks as these can be expensive to clean up and can cause environmental contamination.  

For more information, please contact a member of Edwin Coe's Real Estate team.