STEVENSON BACKS CALL FOR MEASURES TO PROTECT RURAL ENERGY CONSUMERS

Banff & Buchan MSP Stewart Stevenson has backed calls for the UK Government to ensure that rural consumers who rely on home fuel oil or bottled gas are given the same rights as gas and energy consumers.

While many rural consumers use home fuel oil and bottled gas, there is no regulator given the task of looking at the market or interests of consumers who use these types of heating fuels. With consumers suffering massive rises in fuel prices for heating there is a need to create the same level of regulation for fuel oil and bottled gas suppliers as there is for gas and electricity suppliers.

By expanded the level of regulation we can look to ensure that our rural consumers have the same level of protection as everyone else. This has prompted a motion being put forward by the SNP's Mike Weir which looks to raise this issue in the House of Commons

Commenting on the motion Mr Stevenson said:

"Both Ofgem and Energywatch have confirmed that there is no regulator with the task of looking at the market or interests of consumers who use home fuel oil or bottled gas. They do not even have the limited protection available to gas and electricity consumers and this is completely unacceptable.

"Prices of essential energy supplies have risen dramatically, causing real financial hardship in rural Scotland. It is essential that action is taken to end this anomaly and look clearly at this market.

"I am pleased to say that thanks to the hard work of the SNP's Westminster Energy Spokesperson Mike Weir we are finally seeing this issue on the political agenda.

"With Energywatch set to be subsumed into the new National Consumer Council, Mr Weir has been pressing on whether the energy section would include this area. While he was told that Energywatch would press for that to be included, the political representative of rural Scotland need to ensure that this is taken forward and remains on the political agenda.

"It is vital that the UK government acts to ensure that this part of the energy industry is included in the remit of the new National Consumer Council and we will working hard to ensure this is the case."