Ben Maguire MP Responds to £53m Heating Oil Support for Households

Ben Maguire has welcomed a Government announcement of £53 million in emergency support for households facing rising heating oil prices, but says rural families in North Cornwall need help much sooner.

The Liberal Democrat MP for North Cornwall responded after the Government confirmed the funding following growing pressure from MPs and campaigners as heating oil prices have surged in recent weeks amid Donald Trump’s conflict with Iran.

Thousands of Homes Off the Gas Grid

According to recent figures, almost 27,000 households in North Cornwall are not connected to the mains gas grid. Instead, many rely on heating oil, LPG and other energy sources to heat their homes.

Data from the House of Commons Library shows that 53.4% of homes in Ben Maguire MP’s rural constituency are off grid. This is far above the national average.

In some of the most rural villages in North Cornwall, the figure rises to as high as 95%.

Ben Maguire had previously called on the Government to take urgent action to protect rural households. His proposals included temporarily scrapping VAT on heating oil and introducing stronger protections to prevent price gouging.

MP Says Families Need Help “Right Now”

Commenting on the announcement, Ben Maguire MP said:

“This support is of course welcome news, and shows that our pressure on this issue is having real effects.

“However, I remain very concerned that rural families here in North Cornwall need help right now, not weeks down the line. With almost 27,000 households off the gas grid in my constituency, many people have been completely exposed to these price shocks.

“We urgently need proper protections for heating oil and LPG far sooner, including a price cap, so that our rural households get the same safeguards as everyone else. Even the Prime Minister has now acknowledged that there are bad actors exploiting this crisis, and we cannot allow my constituents to foot the bill for this.”