Shaws Belfast Sinks: Price Rise Averaging 300% on 1 Nov

If a Shaws fireclay sink is on the plan for a new country kitchen, the price you were quoted this summer may not survive into November. The other two items are about what it costs to cook on a range this winter: Ofgem has set the unit rates that apply from 1 October, and heating oil for an oil-fired cooker has climbed a long way since July.

Shaws of Darwen sink prices rise from 1 November, averaging 300% via one distributor

Shaws of Darwen, the maker of fireclay Belfast and butler sinks, has confirmed a large price increase across its range, taking effect on 1 November 2026. The news broke on 16 September after distributor Clearwater wrote to retailers saying the change “averages around 300%”. Jonathan White, sales director for Shaws’ parent company Fortune Brands Innovations, told kbbreview that current prices “no longer reflect the true cost of manufacturing and supplying Shaws products”, and described it as “a structural adjustment rather than a routine annual increase”. Each sink is individually cast, hand-finished and glazed in the UK, and the company says it chose to reprice rather than withdraw the brand.

A day later Shaws added that the rise is “not a uniform percentage increase” across the range, and that distributors set their own selling prices. Two distributors have also moved to calm retailers: Caple says it plans to hold Shaws prices until May 2027, and Clearwater’s Sterling Brands says it will keep current pricing on existing stock and confirmed orders, which it expects to last well into 2027 depending on demand. Once Clearwater’s stock runs out, it says Shaws will become a special-order item rather than something it keeps on the shelf.

What this means if you are buying: a sink quoted at today’s price is only safe if the retailer can supply it from existing stock, so ask them to confirm which distributor they buy through and whether your sink is in stock, and pay or order before 1 November if you have settled on the model. If the new price rules Shaws out, other fireclay makers are still worth a look, and our Belfast sink buying guide and kitchen sink types compared cover the alternatives. The reports are at kbbreview: the price rise and Shaws’ clarification.

October’s energy cap: electricity 26.32p a kWh with no VAT, gas 7.97p

Ofgem confirmed on 26 August that the price cap rises 4% for 1 October to 31 December 2026, taking a typical dual fuel household paying by direct debit from £1,663 to £1,723 a year. The unit rates are what matter for a cooker. Electricity averages 26.32p per kWh with a 54.83p daily standing charge, and that figure carries no VAT because the government has removed VAT from domestic electricity between 1 October 2026 and 31 March 2027. Gas averages 7.97p per kWh, including 5% VAT, with a 29.68p daily standing charge.

Ofgem says the increase is mostly on gas, where bills rise 8%, while homes that use no gas will see a rise of less than 1%. That narrows the gap in favour of electric cooking a little this winter, but gas is still roughly a third of the price of electricity per unit. For an electric heat storage cooker that is on all day the electricity rate is the one to watch, and for a dual fuel range the oven runs on the dearer fuel while the hob runs on the cheaper one. Plug the new rates into our range cooker running cost calculator, or read dual fuel vs electric range cookers for how the split works. The rates are on Ofgem and the announcement is on Ofgem’s press release.

Kerosene averages 122.06p a litre, up from 93.52p in late July

BoilerJuice put the UK average domestic kerosene price at 122.06p a litre including VAT on 17 September 2026. When we last checked, on 23 July, it was 93.52p. That is a rise of about 30% in under two months, heading into the season when an oil-fired AGA or Rayburn is lit most of the day.

Ordering a larger delivery usually brings the price per litre down, and group buying schemes in rural areas can help. If you run an always-on oil cooker, turning it down or off during mild spells cuts how often the tank needs filling. And if you are choosing a new cooker for an off-grid kitchen, compare oil with LPG and electric on today’s prices, not last year’s. Our AGA running costs guide lays the fuels side by side and range cooker fuel types covers the options. The daily figure is on BoilerJuice.