Calls for more support for households in rural Wales without a mains gas supply

Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Jane Dodds has urged the Welsh Government to offer further support for household which are not connected to the mains gas network.

Ms Dodds, the Senedd Member for Mid & West Wales also asked the Minister for Social Justice Jane Hutt MS to introduce a one-off payment to help those affected by the spiralling cost of heating oil.

In the past fortnight, heating oil prices have risen from an already high 66.74 pence per litre to 148.25 pence per litre.

A 2019 estimate shows around overall 19 per cent of households in Wales are not connected to the gas grid.

In mid & west Wales this figure rises to around 27 per cent.

Oil and LPG

Most households off the grid are reliant on more expensive fuels including oil and LPG. Neither of which, benefit from the same consumer protections or regulations as gas and electricity.

Figures released by the Liberal Democrats reveal:

• 82.4% of households in Ceredigion off-grid with 11,407 households on oil
• 67.7% of households in Powys off-grid with 17,335 households on oil
• 63.7% of households in Gwynedd off-grid with 9,172 on oil
• 56.7% of households in Pembrokeshire off-grid with 12,982 on oil
• 49.7% of households in Carmarthenshire off-grid with 20,194 households on oil

“While all households are facing major increases in their energy bills in the coming months, those off-the-grid households throughout Wales that rely on heating oil instead of gas or electric heating are seeing astronomical rises, without the protection of the energy price cap,” Jane Dodds said:

“Many are already being forced to make the choice between heating and eating and the astronomical cost increases facing those reliant on oil – without protection – is going to cause a huge number of people a lot of pain.

“I’ve got residents across my region who are genuinely very scared about how they are going to fill up their next oil tank many of whom live in uninsulated social housing.

“This is affecting people right across the socio-economic spectrum, this comes on top of Conservative tax rises and cuts to universal credit.

“I am calling on the Welsh Government to issue a one-off payment to those reliant on heating oil and LPG to help them through this difficult time.”