North East Mayor Kim McGuinness is calling on the Government to step in and protect rural households facing sudden, unfair hikes in the cost of heating oil and LPG.
Across the region, thousands of people living in rural communities rely on off‑grid fuels to heat their homes. In places like Northumberland and County Durham, as many as 30% of households are not connected to mains gas and have no choice but to buy oil or LPG to keep warm. Many residents have reported prices rising sharply in recent days, placing huge pressure on family budgets.
Mayor Kim has raised the issue directly with Ministers, urging the Government to introduce proper protections, including stronger regulation of the heating oil and LPG market and options for an energy price cap similar to the one that already protects people using mains gas and electricity.
She is also calling for devolution of retrofit funding, so the North East can upgrade cold, damp homes faster and support people to move to cleaner, cheaper heating systems in the long term.
Mayor Kim said: “People in our rural communities are being hit hardest once again. These sudden price spikes are not fair, and they are not sustainable. I’m speaking up for North East residents and calling on the Government to act now because no one should be left struggling to heat their home due to a gap in national regulation.
“We need proper protections in place, and we need the powers and funding to fix cold homes for good.”
Support is already available across the region through the North East Warm Homes Advice Service, which offers free, impartial help on managing energy costs and improving home energy efficiency.
Mayor Kim also emphasised that renewable energy is the long‑term answer to cutting bills and building resilience. The North East Combined Authority is investing in clean energy industries - from offshore wind to heat networks and solar power projects - that will help warm homes, create energy security and support 25,000 good jobs by 2035.
To contact the North East Warm Homes Advice Service call 08081759345 or visit www.northeast-warmhomes.co.uk