Westminster criticised for £100 domestic heating oil payment

A £100 payment to rural householders reliant on fuel oil heating will ‘not touch the sides’ according to some countryside MPS, including some from the ruling party.

It was noted that while oil users would receive the £100 top-up, they would not benefit from a two year price cap like those on to electric and gas.

SNP Energy spokesperson Alan Brown MP said: “Rural Scottish households have been hung out to dry. The cost of heating rural homes is much higher than other parts of the country – with the price of heating oil soaring by over 230% in two years. It’s incumbent upon the Chancellor to recognise the financial fears of rural households and implement meaningful assistance to support them through what’s set to be a difficult winter.”

Conservative MP for Clwyd West, David Jones, said: “I and my colleagues will be watching carefully to assess whether the support is truly comparable and will be making such representations as we consider necessary.” In the Commons, Tory MP Fay Jones, who represents Brecon and Radnorshire, was one of several MPs to raise the issue, saying the £100 payment would ‘not touch the sides’.

Stephen Young of Scottish Land and Estates said: “While it is helpful to have support for households with the energy crisis that we face, it does appear that again rural areas are an afterthought. The majority of rural houses have no access to mains gas and have no option but to use LPG or oil heating.”

Those struggling and connected to agriculture are being encouraged to contact RSABI which is promoting its Help for Heating grant, with payments starting at £300 to help with the cost of heating their homes.