MP Andrew Bowies welcomes winter help for off grid households
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The UK Government has announced that the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding will provide the equivalent support of £400 to households that have not been reached by the Energy Bills Support Scheme as they do not have a domestic electricity contract.
MP Andrew Bowie, who represents the rural constituency of West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine, and has a high percentage of ‘off-grid’ properties has welcomed the announcement, and said: “This is fantastic news for households that use heating oil and LPG to heat their homes.
"It will be welcomed right across rural Aberdeenshire and rightly so.
"As well as being one of the most rural, West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine is also one of the coldest constituencies during the winter, especially the areas in the west.
"I’m delighted that this support is now coming to help so many of my constituents this winter.”
The scheme will also support the delivery of the £200 Domestic Alternative Fuel Payments where they cannot be automatically delivered to households through other means, such as suppliers.
Continuing Mr Bowie said: “It was always a case of ensuring that off-grid households did not miss out on UK Government support, but it was a challenge to work out how best to administer the scheme.
"The Energy Bills Support Scheme is delivered through suppliers crediting electricity accounts.
"Many users of heating oil and LPG do not have an account with one particular supplier so a new method of delivery was needed and I’m glad that a solution has been found.”
The alternative scheme will be delivered through local authorities across the UK who can process applications and carry out verification checks as required.
Eligible households will be able to fill out a short form on the UK Government website with just a few simple questions, including name and address, to apply.
MP Andrew Bowie has long campaigned for additional support to be provided for off-grid households and has also campaigned for regulation of the heating oil sector, in the same way that electricity and gas is regulated by Ofgem.
He said: “I have received hundreds of emails from constituents that use heating oil and LPG to heat their homes, many were very worried about the increasing costs and whether support would be forthcoming.
"I’m delighted that they will now get that much needed support.
“Whilst we must maintain our commitment towards Net Zero and the use of renewables and greener fuels, it is important to remember that many households in remote rural areas simply have no choice but to use oil at the present time.
"It would be wrong not to ensure that they receive the same level of UK Government support as those linked to the grid.”
