Mark Garnier MP is urging energy companies to provide equal opportunities for urban and rural pensioners.
Currently rural pensioners who use oil boilers are being told that they cannot get funding under the boiler replacement scheme. This is due to energy companies preferring to replace gas rather than oil boilers because gas boilers are cheaper.
Mark Garnier MP submitted a Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change to ask if he would bring forward proposals to ring-fence funding as part of the boiler replacement scheme for rural pensioners.
The Government responded to the question by stating that under the Carbon Savings Community Obligation component of the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) there is a ring fence to ensure that at least 15% of activity takes place in rural areas. They also stated that the Government was concerned to ensure that rural and non gas filled households are able to benefit from all aspects of the ECO. They are intending to consider this issue as part of the upcoming consultation on proposed changed to the ECO.
Mark Garnier MP said "I have been contacted by a number of rural pensioners who have been declined a boiler replacement by energy companies due to the cost of oil boilers. It is extremely unfair that rural pensioners are losing out on the boiler replacement scheme due to Energy Companies choosing to replace gas boilers rather than oil ones.
Both urban and rural pensioners should have access to the same opportunities for boiler replacement. I will be continuing to press for a fairer deal for rural pensioners to ensure that they are able to take full advantage of the boiler replacement scheme where necessary."