Government support for High Peak as heating oil costs rise

High Peak MP Jon Pearce has welcomed the £53 million support package announced on Monday by the Prime Minister, to help the most vulnerable households with the price of heating oil.

Around 6% of High Peak homes will be affected by the sharp increase in heating oil costs following the outbreak of war in Iran. Many households have seen their heating costs more than double.

Unlike homes that use gas and electricity for heating and hot water, heating oil costs are not capped by Ofgem. This £53 million of support will be targeted to help low-income households in rural communities, ensuring thousands of High Peak residents won’t see their bills skyrocket further.

Jon Pearce MP said:

"I am delighted that the Prime Minister and the Chancellor have announced this support, which will help thousands of households across High Peak. Local residents have been telling me how worried they are, and I’ve heard reports of people paying nearly three times as much to heat their home, particularly in rural areas like where I live in Hope Valley.

"Rural fuel poverty affects families across our area and it is great that once again the Prime Minister has intervened to support rural communities like ours. The Prime Minister really gets the challenges rural communities face, we saw that at the end of last year when he stepped in to agree reforms to agricultural property relief that were welcomed by the NFU and the wider farming community."

The support will be distributed by local authorities through the Crisis and Resilience Fund, a new funding scheme beginning in April to give emergency support for low-income households. The scheme replaces the Household Support Fund and people are able to apply through their local council, with further details to be announced.