Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to provide cost of living support to people who rely on oil for heating.

The Government recognises the challenges facing households who rely on heating oil. We are committed to ensuring these households will be no worse off than an equivalent domestic gas household under the Energy Price Guarantee.

Where households are not able to receive support for their heating costs through the Energy Price Guarantee, the Government will provide an additional payment of £100 to compensate for the rising costs of heating oil. This is in addition to the £400 Energy Bills Support Scheme, which will be paid, in Great Britain, in 6 monthly instalments from October. Households in Northern Ireland will also receive a £400 discount on bills through the Energy Bills Support Scheme.

This support reflects the different underlying wholesale prices, with natural gas particularly affected by Russia’s actions. The Secretary of State for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy will keep the relative costs under close review, and we will continue to work with the sector closely.

Households who are connected to the electricity network but who use fuels other than gas, such as heating oil, will still receive support through the Energy Price Guarantee and Energy Bills Support Scheme for their electricity costs.