I have joined more than 50 Conservative MPs in calling for an urgent investigation into the heating oil market after worrying reports that families are being hit with sudden and excessive price increases.
Alongside the Leader of the Opposition Kemi Badenoch, Shadow Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho and Shadow Environment Secretary Victoria Atkins, I have signed a joint letter to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) urging them to investigate pricing practices in the heating oil supply market.
Heating oil is widely used across North Yorkshire, particularly in rural communities where many homes are not connected to the gas grid and families have little choice but to rely on oil to heat their homes.
I have been extremely concerned to hear reports from across the country of customers having existing delivery bookings cancelled, only to be called back the same day and offered the same delivery again at nearly double the original price.
With typical minimum orders of around 500 litres, families are facing sudden bills of hundreds of pounds simply to keep their homes warm.
I believe this behaviour raises serious questions about fairness, transparency and competition in the market.
In many rural areas households are served by a single local supplier and prices are often not published publicly, making it very difficult for customers to compare costs or shop around.
I am also concerned by reports that some customers, particularly elderly residents, have been overcharged through automatic top-up schemes, where suppliers deliver oil without first confirming the price.
People living in rural communities deserve to be treated fairly and should not be disadvantaged simply because they are not connected to the gas grid.
That is why I am urging the Competition and Markets Authority to launch an urgent investigation into the heating oil market to ensure there is proper competition and that customers are being treated fairly.
Families in North Yorkshire and across rural Britain should not be left paying the price.
