EDM: Heating oil prices

Heating oil prices

Tabled by Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat) 41 signatures

The motion

That this House notes with concern the sudden and severe rise in heating oil prices as a result of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, with prices almost trebling in a week; recognises that around a third of rural households rely on oil-fired heating and already face higher levels of fuel poverty; further notes that the cost of heating oil is not covered by Ofgem’s energy price cap and that households off-grid are therefore vulnerable to price spikes in the global energy market; notes with concern that Government action to support rural communities with increased heating oil prices amounts to just £35 per household; calls on the Government to go further and to provide urgent targeted support for rural communities by introducing a three-month zero-rating of VAT on heating oil for residential homes and to develop a mechanism to protect households reliant on heating oil from sudden price rises, similar to the energy price cap; and further calls on the Government to reduce long-term energy costs by upgrading homes, starting with free insulation for low-income households and ensuring that all new homes are built to zero-carbon standards.

Signatories (41)