Councillor Glen Sanderson, leader of Northumberland County Council, has raised the alarm on fuel price rises in a letter to the Chancellor.
The letter warns that rural areas are particularly vulnerable to heating and fuel price rises resulting from ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Cllr Sanderson said: "The effects of this conflict are being felt around the globe and are thoughts are with all those impacted.
"Even here in Northumberland, we have hundreds of households who are not connected to the electricity grid and thousands not on the gas grid, meaning these residents rely on oil to heat their homes.
"Oil prices have already risen sharply, in some cases by as much as 120 per cent.
"And while prices at the fuel pumps have risen, nowhere near as much as heating oil and red diesel."
"As heating oil is not included in the Energy Price Cap, already disadvantaged rural residents are even more exposed to these increases.
"In addition, two of Northumberland’s key sectors, agriculture and fishing, are heavily reliant on ‘red diesel’ to operate and the impacts are already being felt.
"There is now a week long delay in red diesel availability, leaving many unable to afford it and unable to source the fuel they need to continue producing food for the nation."
Cllr Sanderson added: "I am asking the Government for additional support for our residents and businesses, particularly in rural communities, during these extraordinary times.
"We stand ready to coordinate any support, ensuring it gets to those most in need and quickly, as we did with great success during the coronavirus pandemic."
"In the meantime, residents who are struggling with fuel cost increases and are having difficulties heating their homes, are encouraged to explore the help available through the Council’s cost of living channels or The Energy Project, run by Citizens Advice Northumberland."
Abi Conway, chief executive of Citizens Advice Northumberland, said: "We at Citizens Advice Northumberland have definitely recently been dealing with more queries, clients not understanding why oil prices have increased, and complaints about the cost of ordering a full tank of oil.
"And our year on year data identifies a distinct multi-year escalation in fuel-related inquiries within rural wards such as Alnwick, Amble, Bellingham, Wooler, Rothbury, and Bamburgh with a 1200 per cent increase in unique cases recorded from 2022-23 compared to 2025-26."
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