Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps her Department is taking to support households with instability in the price of heating oil.

The Government recognises the particular pressures faced by rural and off-gas-grid households, including the need to purchase heating oil or LPG in bulk and their exposure to sudden price movements.

Earlier this year, £53 million of targeted support was announced for low-income households affected by higher heating-oil costs, including £3.8 million for Wales. Using this funding, the Welsh Government is providing a one-off £200 payment to low-income households that use heating oil or LPG and receive support through the Council Tax Reduction Scheme.

For those considering alternatives to oil heating, the Government is supporting the installation of low-carbon heating through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, for eligible households in England and Wales. A time-limited higher grant of £9,000 is available for eligible off-gas-grid properties replacing oil or LPG heating systems, helping households and small businesses most exposed to volatile fossil fuel prices to switch to low-carbon heating.

In addition, the Government published its formal response to the CMA heating oil report on 13 October, and is taking forward proposals to regulate the heating oil sector for the first time, making sure households who use heating oil are treated fairly. The full Government response is available here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/heating-oil-government-response-to-cma-market-study/government-response-to-the-cma-heating-oil-market-study.