- Heating fuel costs have risen by up to 82% since the start of the conflict, according to Minister for Energy Consumers Polly Billington.
- Nicola Sharpe of Dunsford, Devon, paid about £340 for 500 litres a year ago and now pays just over £600 for the same amount.
- The government has promised tighter market rules, more competition, clearer compensation routes, and a review of minimum order levels.
- Rural households off the grid are among the most exposed to the price increases, according to the minister.
- Some households in Cornwall and Devon are delaying winter fuel purchases in the hope that prices fall.
Quotes
“We need to make sure the market is working as fairly as possible.”
“I can't see how regulating it is going to bring costs down.”
“There is going to be a lot of people who can't afford it and folk who are going to go cold.”