Cornwall MP accuses Government of abandoning heating oil customers
Ben Maguire wants VAT on heating oil scrapped and a price cap introduced
A North Cornwall MP has accused the Government of failing to provide urgent support to households that rely on heating oil and LPG.
Ben Maguire, the Liberal Democrat MP for North Cornwall, says the Budget offered no support for heating oil customers.
He says prices have doubled, and in some cases tripled, following the conflict in Iran.
Mr Maguire has renewed his call for VAT on heating oil to be scrapped and for a price cap to be introduced.
Off-grid households in North Cornwall
Mr Maguire said almost 27,000 households in North Cornwall rely on heating oil or LPG.
He said that in some of the constituency's most remote villages and hamlets, up to 97% of homes are off the mains gas grid.
Mr Maguire said that, unlike gas and electricity, heating oil is not covered by the energy price cap.
He said this leaves households exposed to sudden price spikes.
Mr Maguire says he has been inundated by constituents who are seriously worried about the cost.
He says he has raised the issue repeatedly in Parliament, including directly with the Prime Minister.
What Ben Maguire said
Mr Maguire said: "I have had so many constituents contact me about the huge rise in heating oil and LPG prices, and I'm hearing the exact same worries when speaking to people on their doorsteps in rural villages and towns across North Cornwall.
"They have seen the price of their heating oil double, and in some cases triple, following Trump's illegal war against Iran, yet our Government has so far failed to give them proper protection."
He added: "Rural families are being left completely exposed by this, which is why I've continually called for urgent support to be rolled out.
"I've raised this in Parliament time and again, including directly with the Prime Minister earlier this month, and I'm calling again for the Chancellor to scrap VAT on heating oil for three months and to introduce a price cap, so off-grid households get the same protection as everyone else when it comes to the cost of energy."