People who use heating oil across Suffolk will not receive extra support under the government's costs package – despite oil price rises outstripping other fuels.
On Thursday chancellor Rishi Sunak announced a £21billion range of measures to support people through the cost-of-living crisis. Among these measures was a £400 discount on electricity bills for every household.
But no special support has been offered for homes not connected to the gas grid which are already contending with a larger price spike.
In the past two years, the price of heating oil has more than trebled while gas has slightly less than doubled in that time.
Figures from the Office for National Statistics show that in May 2020 heating oil was 30p per litre. The price per litre in April this year – the latest available data – was 96p.
Over the same period, the price of gas has slightly less than doubled for many people.
According to figures filed with the House of Commons library, the average annual gas bill was £557 in 2020. This is expected to rise to £1,100 in summer 2022.
But a Treasury spokeswoman said there will be no extra support with heating oil bills.
People who use heating oil will get the £400 discount applied to their electricity bills, but nothing to help make up for the extra growth in price compared to gas.
Andrew Stringer, leader of the opposition Green, Liberal Democrat and Independent group at Suffolk County Council, said: "It's becoming increasingly obvious that this policy was put out in a hurry to cover up some bad news because it has clearly not been thought through.
"This will not help the neediest people in rural Suffolk."
Instead, Mr Stringer said the government had missed an opportunity to roll out a "massive programme of insulation and retrofitting renewables into people's homes".
Unlike gas, heating oil is not covered by the energy price cap so its price can rise daily. And it has risen especially sharply since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The oil, usually kerosene, is also less efficient for heating homes than gas.
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