Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to support households reliant on heating oil in rural areas; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of changes to heating oil prices on households in Boston and Skegness constituency.

Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

We understand that heating oil pricing is a significant issue for households. The Secretary of State and The Minister for Energy have been closely engaging with their counterparts across Government on heating oil prices, including with the Treasury and Devolved Governments. These discussions have been focussed on UK-wide prices of heating oil.

The Secretary of State has written to the industry reminding heating oil distributors of their commitments under the UKIFDA Code of Practice, including the need for fair, transparent and justifiable pricing. Ministers have also spoken with the Competition and Markets Authority, who announced on 11 March they are probing further on two main issues consumers have raised with them on heating oil prices following complaints they have received. They will not hesitate to take action where there is evidence of breaches of consumer protections.

We will keep reviewing whether any further support or action may be needed to protect consumers.