Rural Households Face Winter After a Rise of up to 82%
Heating fuel costs have risen by as much as 82% since the start of the conflict, the energy consumers minister told the BBC, calling it “striking” how rural communities with “so many people off grid” are “some of the most exposed”. One household in Devon paid about £340 for 500 litres a year ago and just over £600 now.
The 82% figure is the minister’s own and no published series behind it could be found, so it is reported as her claim rather than as data. What is on the record is the policy: the government accepted the competition authority’s recommendation to regulate heating oil for the first time five days ago, after the authority found 1,700 households were owed compensation because suppliers cancelled orders and left them to re-order at higher prices. Minimum order levels will be reviewed, and £53m of immediate support went in during March. Polly Billington said “we need to make sure the market is working as fairly as possible”. The households quoted are not confident that regulation reaches the price: one said “I can’t see how regulating it is going to bring costs down”, another that “there is going to be a lot of people who can’t afford it and folk who are going to go cold”, and a third, who saves £30 a month into a scheme for the purpose, said that even so he can no longer afford to fill his tank. Oil hit $110 on Friday, so the direction of travel is not helpful.