Govt 'will have to act' if essential costs continue to rise- Norfolk MP
Official figures show that more than 60 thousand households in Norfolk rely on heating oil
A local MP tells us the Government 'will have to act' if war in the middle east continues to push up essential costs.
It comes as the prices of 'off-grid' energy and fertiliser have hit record highs from the beginning of March.
Official figures show that more than 60 thousand households in Norfolk rely on heating oil- which has more than doubled in price over the last month
"My office is directly supporting 200 people on this"
Terry Jermy represents South West Norfolk in Parliament:
"I've been hearing from local people who are telling me that they're literally turning off their heating, which is a huge issue from a public health point of view.
"My office is directly supporting 200 people on this.
"For a Government that believes in fairness, this is our opportunity to deliver and work for rural Britain on this important issue.
"We are talking about a million homes across the UK that are relying on heating oil. There's always been a bit of an oddity that they've not been protected by the price-cap.
"There needs to be more protection for those who use heating oil- be that a price cap or something else- but more regulation is required.
"If cost of living pressures continue to persist, we are going to have to look at increasing the freeze on fuel duty come September".
What's the Government said on this?
Ministers say they've set aside over £50 million to help those who are dependent on heating oil.
£3 million of it has come to Norfolk in a 'crisis fund' that's being headed-up by County Hall.