Cost of living: 'We have to buy the oil or we will freeze'

Ian Fletcher thinks the government should do more to help those living in rural areas

A man without access to mains gas says he has no other alternative but to stomach the rising cost of heating oil or he will freeze.

Ian Fletcher, from Welshampton, in Shropshire, is one of 74,000 people in the Midlands who have to use oil to keep their homes warm.

The government has said householders living off the gas grid will receive a payment of £100.

However, campaigners say more support is needed.

"We have no other alternative, we have to buy the oil or we freeze and can't cook," the 76-year-old said.

He receives a discount through a community bulk buying scheme, but has still reported the price soaring from 63p to 91p per litre.

In a bid to be as energy efficient as possible and cut spending on energy bills, he has installed solar panels and exterior cladding insulation on his house.

MP Helen Morgan says the energy price cap should be extended to people who are off grid, backed by a windfall tax

Data collected by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows that about 74,000 homes in the Midlands are not connected to a mains gas supply, 23,000 of which are in Shropshire.

Prime Minister Liz Truss announced a typical household energy bill will be capped at £2,500 annually until 2024.

However, this does not apply to those who use heating oil, those who have communal heating schemes, and people in mobile home parks.

Helen Morgan, MP for North Shropshire, has been campaigning for more financial help for families in rural areas.

"We would like to see the energy price cap extended to people who are off grid and we'd like to see this paid for with a windfall tax on the oil and gas companies," Ms Morgan said.

A report from the Rural Services Network found that people in rural communities would be hit harder by the cost of living crisis than those in urban areas.

"For both [oil and LPG] the householder or the business has to fill their tank at this time of the year," said its chief executive, Graham Biggs.

"In the immediate short term, government really has got to provide fair funding for our public services. And then perhaps those public services can focus some of their available funds and resources on very localised support."

The government was taking measures to support people with their energy bills, said a spokesperson.

"The government will continue to support rural areas in navigating the months ahead, including the action we have taken to help farmers like bringing forward 50% of the Basic Payment Scheme funding, reducing employer national insurance and slashing fuel duty," they added.