Latest Press Releases
| UK GOVERNMENT CAMPAIGN “COLD COMFORT” TO RURAL OIL CUSTOMERS |
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| Thursday, 10 November 2011 00:00 |
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The Scottish National Party’s MP for Moray, Angus Robertson, has expressed his anger at the UK Government’s ‘Check, Switch and Insulate’ campaign for leaving the rural fuel poor out in the cold. The campaign follows the Prime Minister’s recent “fuel summit” and calls upon consumers to Check prices with competitors, Switch to new providers and insulate their homes – options that do not exist for many off-grid energy customers. In Moray alone thousands of people rely on tank gas and oil for their heating systems, which are only provided by a limited number of local suppliers. Local MP Mr Robertson said: “Check, Switch and Insulate is good advice at any time but it is particularly so as energy prices soar and we approach the coldest part of the year. However, it is cold comfort for many of my constituents in Moray and others around the country for whom it is no help whatsoever. “ The price of oil in particular is regularly raised with me through my constituency office with prices having tripled in recent years. This increase is way beyond what mains gas and electricity customers have seen and that is saying something given the massive price hikes from those suppliers. “ Many who use fuel oil to heat their homes, particularly those in rural areas have absolutely no opportunity to either compare prices or switch suppliers since there is a virtual monopoly in many areas. “ Despite the huge rises there have been in home fuel oil there are still no social tariffs in this market and once again the UK government is completely ignoring the issues in this overlooked sector of the energy market. “ This issue is affecting customers in some of the coldest parts of the country with the highest energy costs. “Action has got to be taken to introduce some fairness into the home fuel oil market and I am pleased that my colleague Mike Weir was able to raise this important issue at Scotland Questions in the House of Commons this week. “ Fuel poverty in energy rich Scotland continues to be an absolute disgrace and for far too long successive UK Governments have compounded the problem by leaving the fuel poor in rural areas out in the cold.” |
