FUEL POVERTY AND THE PROPOSED HOUSE COAL BAN

That this House asks that when considering the results of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs consultation on cleaner domestic burning of solid fuels and wood, the Government is mindful of the 3.7 million people who live off the gas grid in the UK and who rely on coal as their primary source of heating; notes that if people are forced to burn other types of solid fuel, their heating bills are likely to increase by at least £900 per annum, because a bag of briquettes is around twice the price of a bag of coal on the garage or supermarket forecourt; and further notes that many people who live off grid are elderly and are living on the borderline of fuel poverty, which means that they are unlikely to be able to afford such a fuel bill increase.