A SOMERSET MP has spoken in the House of Commons about the issue of rising heating oil prices ahead of the winter months, when thousands of county households will be filling up.
Constituencies in Somerset have a large number of properties rated as ‘off the gas grid’, according to statistics from the House of Commons Library, defined as those that “do not have access to mains gas and rely on alternative sources of fuel”, including heating oil.
A total of 39.5% (17,059) of properties in Glastonbury and Somerton are off grid, while in Frome and East Somerset, the number is 23% (9,342), and in Yeovil the number is 25.4% (12,472). In Taunton and Wellington, the number is 18.7% (9,370), and in Tiverton and Minehead, it is a massive 42.3% (18,669).
These are compared to the national average of 15.7% and the south west average of 23.9%.
In the Commons on Tuesday (October 14), MP Anna Sabine (Lib Dem, Frome and East Somerset), raised concerns about the impact of rising oil prices on rural households with Martin McCluskey (Lab, Inverclyde and Renfrewshire West), the Parliamentary Under Secretary for Energy Security and Net Zero.
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“In my constituency of Frome and East Somerset, approximately 10% of houses use oil central heating, compared with 5% nationally,” she said. “Given the high volatility of oil prices, this places my constituents in a particularly difficult position as we approach the winter months.
“Could the Minister confirm what measures will be taken to ensure that homes reliant on oil heating can be heated more affordably so that my constituents don’t have to suffer unnecessarily?”
The Minister said the rising price of heating oil was an issue he was “looking at closely”, and that the results of a consultation on the matter would “hopefully be published before the end of the month”.
Ms Sabine has previously hosted several Cost of Living Surgeries across the constituency, and said residents frequently raise concerns about the affordability of heating, energy bills, and basic household costs during the colder months.
She has vowed to continue pressing the Government to safeguard access to affordable energy for rural communities.
“People in Frome and East Somerset should not be forced to choose between heating their homes and other basic necessities,” she said.
“I’ll keep working to make sure their voices are heard and that action is taken to protect them from spiralling costs this winter.”
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In Highway Ash and Martock areas we have no a cess to mains gas if we did lm sure we would all use it instead of oil.