Off-grid homes: Helen Morgan calls on Business Secretary to cap price of heating oil

MP Helen Morgan has urged the new Business Secretary to introduce a price cap on heating oil to protect off-grid homes from spiralling prices this winter.

The North Shropshire MP has joined forces with fellow Lib Dems in rural constituencies to call for a cap of between 70 and 80p per litre after prices reached 95p in October.

In a letter to Grant Shapps, the MPs warned that thousands of people across the UK could face fuel poverty this winter due to the increased price of oil and other forms of energy.

Despite the huge costs of heating off-grid homes, the Government has only offered £100 of support and has refused to explain how people will be able to access this payment.

More than 22,000 homes in Shropshire rely on heating oil due to being off the gas grid but have repeatedly been “neglected” by the Conservatives, Helen Morgan said.

They are among around 1.5 million homes that use heating oil in the UK and are facing an average increase in bills of £1,200 per year.

Helen Morgan, North Shropshire MP, said, “Rural communities like North Shropshire are bearing the brunt of the cost-of-living crisis but have repeatedly been neglected by Rishi Sunak and the Conservatives.

“Every week I’m contacted by constituents who are worried about heating their homes and feel insulted to have been offered £100 when their bills have increased by £1,000.

“They deserve support and Liberal Democrats have a clear solution: extend the price cap to heating oil. This could be paid for by a windfall tax on the huge profits of oil and gas giants that are cashing in on Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.”

Helen has also thrown her support behind a cross-party campaign calling for people in park homes, and other accommodation where residents do not directly pay their energy supplier, to be given access to the £400 support being distributed to everyone else via their electricity bill.