Banff
& Buchan MP Eilidh Whiteford
has welcomed a Private Members’ Bill that would help off-grid pensioner
households beat soaring winter energy costs which is to be launched by SNP MP
Mike Weir this week.
Mr
Weir – one of just 20 MPs successful in a ballot to present a Bill in the House
of Commons – said the Bill (the Winter Fuel Allowance Payments (Off-Grid
Claimants) Bill) would provide for the early payment of Winter Fuel Allowance
to pensioners whose homes are not connected to the mains grid and whose
principal source of fuel is home fuel oil, liquid petroleum gas or propane gas.
Bringing
forward payment of Winter Fuel Allowance would allow vulnerable consumers to
fill up their tanks prior to the onset of winter and at a time when prices tend
to be lower. Mr Weir, who has long
campaigned on the difficulties faced by off-gas grid energy consumers, now
hopes to build cross-party support for the proposal. Mr Weir’s Bill will formally be presented to
Parliament on Wednesday 20 June.
Commenting,
Eilidh Whiteford said:
“I’m
pleased to back the Bill that Mike Weir is putting forward as many of my
constituents are “off-grid” and are hit hardest at the worst time of the
year.
“To bring payments forward would mean very
little to the Treasury as the cost would be the same as if the payments were
left as they are. The difference,
however, would be that many elderly people would not be left in the predicament
where they have to decide whether to eat or heat their home.”
Mike
Weir, the SNP Energy and Climate Change spokesperson at Westminster, said:
"While
all households have been hit by rocketing energy prices, off-grid customers,
who have no access so social tariffs, are especially vulnerable. This
Bill would bring forward payment of the pensioners winter fuel allowance
earlier in the year so households can fill their tanks prior to the onset of
winter and when fuel prices tend to be cheaper. Not only would this be a
real help to older consumers but would be revenue neutral for the Treasury -
merely bringing forward payments by a few months. This would provide real help
at little or no additional cost.”
Mr
Weir said the Scottish Government is doing everything in its powers to tackle
fuel poverty but that off-grid customers have been ignored by the UK
Government.
He
added:
"The
heating oil market is subject to sudden and very high price spikes and there is
real concern amongst consumers that there is very little competition in the
market, leaving them effectively with no option but to pay up. Off-grid
users are the only customers not to have access to social tariffs and a large
number of the rural fuel poor are unable to get help with heating bills at all.
It is vital that this situation is addressed, and action taken to introduce
robust regulation to protect consumers."