Heating oil costs for off-grid households

Motion Text

That this House recognises the financial pressures on the 17,059 households in Glastonbury and Somerton constituency, and many more across rural Britain, that are off the gas grid and rely on heating oil or liquefied petroleum gas; notes that these households must buy fuel in bulk, often paying hundreds of pounds up front as winter begins; expresses concern that they have no protection under the Ofgem energy price cap, while the price of heating oil has risen by around 80 per cent since the conflict in Iran began; further notes that rural households already pay between 10 and 20 per cent more for everyday essentials, leaving some families to choose between heating and eating; welcomes the Government’s acceptance of the Competition and Markets Authority’s recommendations on the heating oil market, but regrets that new regulation will take time, leaving households reliant on a voluntary code of conduct this winter; and calls on the Government to set out a clear timetable for implementing those recommendations, introduce a price cap for off-grid households, zero-rate VAT on heating oil for three months, and reverse the cuts to the Warm Homes Plan.