Off-grid homes out of pocket after Rishi’s £400 handout

Off-grid homes out of pocket after Rishi’s £400 handout

Rural homes face soaring energy bills after being left at the mercy of uncapped fuel prices, charities have warned. While every home will receive a £400 grant in October from the Government to help ease the cost of spiralling energy bills, no targeted measures were announced to support the 1.5 million properties that use heating oil or liquid gas, which is not protected by the energy price cap. Rural home owners that rely on sources other than gas and electricity through the grid face extreme price volatility and higher bills than using conventional energy methods. Heating oil is 43pc more expensive than it was in February, according to website Boiler Juice, adding around £490 onto the average yearly bill. Homes with average usage of 1,700 litres per year are already paying £2,960 to power and heat their homes once electricity is factored in. In October, once the price cap rises, they face paying roughly £650 more per year to power and heat their homes than those on the gas grid. Crispin Truman, of CPRE, the countryside charity, said: “Soaring fuel bills are hitting rural homes the hardest. These houses are often older and harder to insulate, making them more costly