RENEWABLE HEAT INCENTIVE LEVY

That this House welcomes Government plans to incentivise the use of renewable energy; notes that the Renewable Heat Incentive will be paid for by a levy, which industry experts have estimated at 15 per cent., on suppliers of fossil fuels, including heating oil and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG); further notes the Government's acceptance that this levy is likely to be passed onto customers in the form of higher bills; expresses concern that this will impact disproportionately on those households without access to mains gas or electricity who already suffer from the highest energy bills and are excluded from many of the Government's fuel poverty measures as well as from social tariffs; further notes that users of heating oil are twice as likely to live in fuel poverty as the rest of the population; and calls on the Government to ensure that the delayed Renewable Heat Incentive consultation, now due to be published later this year, does not propose substantial price rises for users of heating oil and LPG.