Local MSP Craig Hoy has written to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, after Dumfriesshire residents raised serious concerns about sharp, unjustified price increases from heating oil suppliers.
Moffat based Conservative candidate and local MSP Craig Hoy warned that many rural households rely entirely on heating oil and are being left exposed to sudden price surges, with some residents reporting they are struggling to heat their homes as costs rise and deliveries are delayed.
Unlike households connected to the mains gas network, many homes across Dumfriesshire must purchase heating oil in bulk, often costing several hundred pounds upfront, leaving residents here vulnerable to sudden market changes and limited supplier competition.
Craig Hoy MSP said: “The cost of heating oil has surged over recent weeks, and, given much of this stock will have been purchased months ago, many residents rightly feel these increases are simply unacceptable.
“People are telling me they are facing delays, soaring costs and in some cases are left without heating or hot water. Many are relying on log burners and open fires as a last resort just to keep warm.
“Dumfriesshire is a rural area and is disproportionately affected because households here often have no alternative heating source. Both Governments must act urgently to ensure rural communities are not left behind.”
Mr Hoy also highlighted that heating oil users lack the regulatory protections available to mains gas and electricity customers, leaving rural households particularly exposed during international energy disruption.
He added: “This situation exposes how vulnerable rural communities are to energy shocks. The UK has significant untapped domestic oil and gas potential, and greater energy security would help prevent the kind of volatility that is leaving families freezing in their homes.
“The SNP Scottish Government must recognise the pressures facing rural Scotland, where older and less energy-efficient housing means heating is not a luxury but a necessity. The Scottish Conservatives fully back domestic oil and gas production, and this situation shows exactly why energy security matters.”
