Clarification Needed As Off Grid Homes Face Soaring Heating Costs - Heating Oil Prices Have Soared but No Government Help

31st May 2022

Scots in ‘off grid' properties are the ‘forgotten victims' of the cost of living crisis, claim Scottish Labour.

Following the release of consumer price index statistics from the Office of National Statistics, Scottish Labour have identified that in just a year, the cost of heating oil has increased over £500 per 1000 litre. The rise is one of the largest price increases in this year's ONS statistics.

While the rest of Scotland is due to receive some additional support for energy bills from the UK government, ‘off grid' properties have been given little clarification as to whether they will be able to receive the payments.

Approximately 417,000 (17%) of Scottish homes are off the gas grid and 217,000, use fuels other than mains gas or electricity to heat their homes.

28 per cent of rural households use heating oil as their primary source of heating fuel and homes in hard to reach parts of Scotland are often off grid, including all properties on Shetland and Orkney, with five of Scotland's local authorities seeing least half of homes ‘off grid'.

The spiralling costs of heating oil, combined with the lack of assistance from the government, has led to a tsunami of poverty in rural Scotland.

Commenting, Scottish Labour Highlands and Islands MSP Rhoda Grant said: "People living in rural homes have been completely forgotten by this government. Despite the Tory Chancellor doing his best to copy Labour's plans to tackle the cost of living crisis, they have not included our guarantees for off grid homes.

"The increase in the cost of heating oil is one of the biggest prices rises within the ONS statistics. It directly impacts people living off grid, and yet, we have seen no substantial aid package from the SNP or the Tories.

"Even in the Scottish Tory leader’s own constituency, off grid homes are facing destitution because of soaring heating oil costs. How can Douglas Ross not have clarified what support is available for his own constituents?

"With reports of people stealing oil and gas cannisters out of desperation and pensioners choosing between putting the heating on or eating dinner, we need urgent government intervention if we are to stop rural Scotland being plunged into Victorian era style poverty."

Price per litre on 29 May 2022 - 94.95p
Price per litre on 4 September 2021 - 45.48p
Price per litre on 10 March 2022 - 159.54p