Adrian Ramsay MP demands heating oil price cap and faster action as rural households left exposed to soaring costs
Adrian Ramsay MP, Green Party MP for Waveney Valley, is calling on the Government to introduce stronger protections for rural communities facing volatile heating oil prices, including a price cap, more financial support and faster regulation of the sector.
In Waveney Valley, 32.7% of households rely on heating oil. Prices are tied to violate crude oil prices, leaving rural families uniquely exposed to global events.
Adrian has been pressing the Government on the issue for months. In April, he joined cross-party MPs in a Westminster Hall debate on the cost of heating oil, where he asked the Energy Minister for a price cap. He has also tabled six written questions to the Energy Secretary, on moving off-grid communities away from heating oil, on further support for rural households facing price volatility, and on how renewables can steady energy prices.
Adrian welcomed the Government's action so far but said a £53 million package for the whole of the UK is simply not enough for the millions of households that rely on heating oil. This month, the Minister for Energy Consumers, Polly Billington, confirmed in a written statement that the Government will regulate the heating oil sector for the first time, but said it will take time. Adrian warned that this leaves heating oil customers with weaker protections than gas and electricity customers, with less redress when things go wrong, less price transparency and less support for the vulnerable.
Adrian Ramsay MP said:
"When heating oil prices rise, our community is hit particularly hard, with families and pensioners often suffering the most. No one should be left in the cold, without hot water, or worrying about how they will afford the next delivery. In Waveney Valley, nearly half of households rely on heating oil, so a £53 million package for the whole of the UK is just not good enough.
"The answers I've had from ministers make it clear that the Government's solutions don't match the seriousness of this problem. Regulation that will take time is time many households do not have, and tinkering at the edges will not fix it. I'm calling on the Government to introduce a price cap, provide further financial support, and move much faster on retrofitting, insulation and renewable energy to bring bills down for good.
"Staying dependent on fossil fuels leaves rural communities like ours far too exposed. I will keep pushing in Parliament so that Waveney Valley is not left behind."
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