Local fuel poverty rising warns council leader

Many hundreds more people in Stratford District will fall into fuel poverty as a result of what’s happening several thousand miles away in Iran, warns council leader.

Those in the more rural parts of the District that rely on fuel oil will be particularly hard hit, according to the Liberal Democrat’s Susan Juned.

“Spiralling oil prices are hitting rural homeowners hard,” she says. “Prices have doubled or more, but rural households that rely on heating oil for warmth are not protected by Ofgem’s energy price cap.

“Fuel poverty, according to the government’s definition, was already an issue in our district before the recent oil price rises. More than one in seven district households were already affected before the current events in the Middle East.

“We have created a £500,000 hardship support fund in this year’s District Council budget to support vulnerable households that are struggling to pay their energy bills. We also have funding available for homeowners to repair, replace, and improve heating systems.
 
“But more needs to be done now to help as a result of the war in the Middle East.”

Locally, the Liberal Democrat-controlled District Council is urgently looking at further action to help residents. Local councillors have also made representations to Stratford-on-Avon Liberal Democrat MP, Manuela Perteghella, to bring the fuel crisis to the attention of government ministers.

Nationally, the Liberal Democrats have called for the government to shield rural householders from sudden price increases in domestic heating oil prices.

They are proposing a mechanism similar to the electricity price cap to control price increases. VAT should also be zero-rated on domestic heating oil for three months.

“Action also needs to be taken against any company that is unfairly profiteering from oil price rises,” maintains Juned.