Heating Oil Rural Homes 2026-03-24
2026-03-24
TAGS
Response quality
Questions & Answers
Q1
Partial Answer
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Context
High costs of heating oil impact many households in remote areas. The question follows a government announcement of £53 million support for those who heat their homes with heating oil.
What steps are being taken to support rural homes that use heating oil? In the remote highlands and islands, where mains gas is not available, where we have the highest level of fuel poverty in Britain, does the Minister accept the unfairness of a highlander having to pay a multiple of what those in cities pay for energy?
We understand the situation. My right hon. Friend the Chancellor has announced £53 million of support for those who heat their homes with heating oil, and £4.6 million will be delivered by the Scottish Government. The Competition and Markets Authority's investigation into heating oil is welcomed, and a trial for free wind power for people living near infrastructure was also announced.
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Assessment & feedback
The unfairness of high energy costs in remote areas compared to cities was acknowledged but no specific steps to address this disparity were provided beyond mentioning the CMA investigation.
Under Review
Response accuracy
Q2
Partial Answer
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Context
The Scottish Government's decision to centralise support through Advice Direct Scotland is questioned, with local authorities and organisations noted as having better knowledge of hard-to-reach customers.
I welcome the UK Government's support for heating oil customers in my constituency and the follow-up support from the Scottish Government. However, I am slightly baffled that the Scottish Government have chosen to centralise support through Advice Direct Scotland instead of entrusting local authorities with it. Will the Minister urge the Scottish Government to use local expertise such as Tighean Innse Gall and Point and Sandwick Trust?
The hon. Friend joined me in Stornoway last week, where we met those organisations. It is crucial to take advantage of local knowledge to ensure that the support reaches people who need it, whether through schemes run by local government or the centralised scheme run by the Scottish Government.
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Assessment & feedback
The questioner's specific request for urging the use of local expertise was not directly addressed. Instead, a general statement about the importance of local knowledge was made.
Response accuracy
Q3
Partial Answer
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Context
In Aviemore and surrounding areas, people are suffering from high energy costs. The cost to fill a 2,500-litre tank has increased significantly since November.
In Aviemore it will be snowing tomorrow—in fact, in quite a lot of north Scotland it will be snowing to a pretty low level. People in those areas are suffering hugely from massive energy prices for electricity, heating oil and liquefied petroleum gas for tanks. In Aviemore, a 2,500-litre tank, which was filled in November for £1,400, now costs £3,400 to fill. Does the Minister agree that £35 per household is frankly a drop in the ocean?
I think the hon. Member should be careful not to sow fear about these issues among his constituents, which is precisely what his remarks do. My right hon. Friend the Chancellor provided £4.6 million to the Scottish Government, who have increased the fund to £10 million and will deliver it from 1 April.
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Assessment & feedback
The questioner's specific request for acknowledging the insufficiency of current support was not addressed directly. Instead, criticism of the remarks was provided.
Sow Fear
Not Addressing
Response accuracy
Q4
Partial Answer
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Context
About 30% of households in Braes villages use alternative heating sources like heating oil, far above district averages. Anxiety exists due to centralised funding by the Scottish Government.
In Braes villages about 30% of households use alternative heating sources such as heating oil—far above the district, constituency or Scottish nationwide average. The decision to deliver the scheme nationally is creating anxiety that communities may be forgotten by Holyrood. What assurances have Ministers received from their Holyrood counterparts that Scottish heating oil support will be available and proportionate for such communities?
I welcome my hon. Friend's advocacy for his constituents. It is essential that the Scottish Government scheme, which supports people with heating oil costs, finds its way to those who need it. I am disappointed that the Scottish Government have chosen to centralise funding rather than work alongside local government.
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Assessment & feedback
The specifics of assurances received from Holyrood were not provided; instead, disappointment in centralisation was noted.
Response accuracy
Q5
Partial Answer
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Context
The question follows concerns about gaps in support, including no mention of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). Customers face uncertainty with orders placed without knowing final costs.
I declare an interest: my home is off the gas grid and my boiler is fuelled by domestic heating oil. I have listened carefully to the Minister's answers, and there have been significant gaps—there has been no mention of liquefied petroleum gas, for example. Although it is always right to support the most vulnerable in our society, I am not sure that he has fully understood that there are many households on modest incomes across rural communities that do not receive benefits and simply do not have £500, £600 or £700 lying around to meet a bill they did not budget for. Perhaps the Minister could answer a specific question on certainty: while the CMA investigation goes on, customers continue to place orders without knowing how much they will be charged when the oil is delivered. He could implement an interim measure before a wider set of changes to stop that practice. Will he do so?
I think I need to start by correcting some of what the hon. Gentleman said. In my statement last week, I confirmed that LPG was part of the support—perhaps he did not hear that. Our priority has been to ensure funding reaches people at speed; it was delivered in two weeks, not 200 days. On his point about means-testing, the funding is discretionary so local authorities can decide how to provide it.
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Assessment & feedback
The questioner's specific request for interim measures and certainty was partially addressed with corrections but no concrete steps were provided.
Correcting
Under Review
Response accuracy