Ahead of a debate in Westminster Hall on Wednesday 4 November, the Countryside Alliance has shared a briefing note about the impact heating oil prices have on rural areas.
The full briefing note can be downloaded here, with the key points summarised below.
- The Countryside Alliance supports a fair transition to affordable and sustainable
energy, but rural households must not face unfair costs because of where they live
or government policy.
- Around 1.5-1.7 million households remain reliant on heating oil due to not being
connected to the mains gas grid, many of them in rural areas with limited
alternatives.
- Unlike households using mains gas and electricity, heating oil users are not
protected by the energy price cap and are therefore exposed to global energy
shocks and market volatility.
- Rising international tensions and disruption to oil markets have significantly
increased costs for rural households and businesses dependent on heating oil.
Sudden price rises can leave vulnerable households struggling to afford heating.
- Heating oil users face additional risks from fuel theft, which can leave households
without heating and create costly replacement bills. The Countryside Alliance has
published guidance intended to help householders prevent fuel theft.
- The government has introduced targeted financial support and committed to
strengthening consumer protections, but questions remain about affordability and
the protection available to households facing future price shocks.
- The Countryside Alliance is calling for VAT on domestic heating oil to be reduced
to zero and for a reduction in VAT on non-domestic heating oil used by rural
businesses.
- Further measures to support consumers with their energy bills must recognise the
needs of off-grid homes reliant on heating oil or other alternative fuels such as LPG.