Local MP for Midhurst, Petworth and rural communities across the South Downs, Andrew Griffith, has called on the government to take urgent action to prevent residents being ripped off on the price of heating oil.
A significant number of local homes in the South Downs are off the mains gas grid and depend upon heating oil for heating. These households are disproportionately rural, often elderly and vulnerable, and almost always without any realistic alternative. Unlike mains gas and electricity customers, they are not protected by the energy price cap.
After putting out a call for homeowners to share their experiences, the MP has been sent details of a heating oil supplier hiking its price from 57 pence a litre to £1.25 a litre – an increase of 119%.
The MP has written to Ed Miliband MP, the Energy Secretary, asking him to take urgent action against heating oil suppliers price gouging and to bring forward a mandatory price transparency scheme for heating oil suppliers, requiring them to publish their prices publicly, so that consumers can compare suppliers.
Andrew Griffith MP said:
“I’ve written to the Energy Secretary, Ed Miliband, to share stories of shameful behaviour from rogue heating oil suppliers which can only be described as blatant profiteering. We should not tar all businesses with the same brush, but some clearly had secured their supplies before the events in the middle east but chose to hike prices anyway. I want him to take action to protect my constituents.”
