Rural communities hard hit by rising cost of home heating
DURING the current spell of cold weather, many will be faced with difficult decisions about turning on their home heating, given the soaring cost of energy bills.
A combination of factors, dominated by the impact on markets of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, has seen the price of fuel, oil, gas and electricity rising alarmingly, with knock-on effects on the cost of food and other commodities.
In the rural Westcountry, consumers are likely to feel the pinch more acutely than their urban counterparts when it comes to travel and home heating.
The necessity of driving long distances to access services means greater costs at the fuel pump, and a lack of energy efficient homes in the countryside will see heating bills increase for many who can least afford them.
As reported in today’s WMN, Labour warns that poorly insulated properties and soaring oil prices mean rural households are likely to face higher energy bills than those living in urban areas. The opposition party says data suggests that the lack of energy efficient homes in the countryside means rural households pay around a third more on average to heat their homes.
In isolated areas across Devon and Cornwall, residents without access to mains gas typically rely on oil for heating – but the price of filling up a tank has soared by hundreds of pounds since the Russians launched a war in Ukraine.
Added to which, many older rural homes often fall into the lowest energy efficiency bands, with poor insulation and aging boilers potentially adding to heating costs.
The cost of living crisis is hitting everyone, but those living in rural areas may be hardest hit, yet often forgotten or drowned out as urban conurbations dominate debate.
Labour is right to highlight the plight of country communities when it comes to the higher costs they are being forced to bear.
In response, a UK Government spokesman said that it recognised people across the country, “including rural communities” are struggling, adding: “We are committed to improving the energy efficiency of all UK homes, including rural homes, which is why are investing £6.6 billion to support that aim, ultimately cutting energy bills and reducing households’ exposure to volatile global gas prices.”
A concerted effort to improve energy efficiency in homes, new and old, will not only help people to save on heating bills, but also reduce national usage of fossil fuels. Those struggling to pay their bills are not in a position to pay out for new insulation, the latest environmentally friendly home-heating technology or a new boiler. Money must be found to help people to save on energy costs, and ultimately help the country meet carbon reduction targets.
Energy prices may well continue to rise, with pressure on Western countries to end their dependency on Russian supplies and a scramble for alternative sources ongoing. Measures to help tackle soaring bills for rural communities, and to improve home energy efficiency, have never been more pressing.