Cost of Heating Oil
Sadik Al-Hassan Excerpts(2 days, 14 hours ago)
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Sadik Al-Hassan (North Somerset) (Lab)
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Dr Allin-Khan. In my constituency, 2,281 homes rely on heating oil as their only source of warmth. Those are not households with alternatives; they are off the gas grid entirely and, unlike the rest of us, they face a market that is completely uncapped and unregulated.
As we all know, the ongoing conflict in the middle east and the strait of Hormuz is driving oil prices unpredictably higher. Families relying on heating oil are being squeezed the hardest. Those in the worst affected areas, such as Wrington, Felton and Dundry, cannot switch supplier instantaneously. They buy in bulk, have no negotiating power and, when prices surge, go cold.
I therefore welcome the steps this Government have taken: the energy bill cap extended until June, saving the average household £170; the £150 warm homes discount for the most vulnerable; and, crucially, the swift announcement of a £53 million support package targeted at low-income and vulnerable households who depend on heating oil. The funding allocation reflects census data on need, demonstrating that this is not a scattergun approach. It is targeted, proportionate and urgent.
Support alone, however, is not enough. I welcome the Government’s commitment to introduce a strengthened code of practice to improve price transparency, and to explore a new regulator or ombudsman for the market. Those households deserve the same consumer protections as everyone else.
I urge the Minister to move quickly to ensure that local authorities have the guidance and resources to get this funding to those who need it before the cold takes hold. No one in this country should have to choose between heating their home and feeding their family. This package is a welcome start, but it must be the beginning not the limit of this Government’s ambition.
Draft Electricity and Gas (Energy Company Obligation) (Amendment) (Specified Period) Order 2026
Sadik Al-Hassan Excerpts(3 weeks, 4 days ago)
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Sadik Al-Hassan (North Somerset) (Lab)
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mrs Barker. I am glad to see that there is likely to be no impact on consumers or energy bills as a result of this amendment, particularly in the light of the current hostilities in the middle east. At a time when prices are rising and energy bills are due to be affected, it is reassuring to know that residents in North Somerset and across the country, who are simply trying to heat their homes, will not be impacted.
For low-income and vulnerable households already struggling with the cost of living, schemes such as ECO4 are more vital than ever. The extension will ensure that suppliers have the time they need to complete installations and, critically, remediate non-compliant works, so that households who need help the most actually receive it in full.
Oral Answers to Questions
Sadik Al-Hassan Excerpts(1 year, 5 months ago)
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Peter Swallow (Bracknell) (Lab)
Sadik Al-Hassan (North Somerset) (Lab)
Anna Dixon (Shipley) (Lab)
Miatta Fahnbulleh
Yes, absolutely. Raising standards in the social housing sector will be a critical part of our warm homes plan. We have already announced plans to lift 1 million renters out of fuel poverty by raising the minimum energy efficiency standard in both the private and the social-rented sector, which will ensure that renters no longer have to live in cold, drafty homes. We will also unlock £1 billion-worth of investment to the national wealth fund in partnership with leading banks to upgrade more social homes, and we will set out more detail to build on that in due course.
Sadik Al-Hassan
I thank the Minister for her commitment to the warm homes plan. Many of my constituents in North Somerset have written to me in recent weeks, detailing their concerns that the scheme does not take sufficient account of higher energy usage due to long-term illnesses. Will the Minister share whether the Department has any plans to look into uplifting the warm home discount for participants with relevant long-term illnesses?