UK minister for business, energy and clean growth Kwasi Kwarteng MP has this week announced his support for liquid fuels trade association the UK and Ireland Fuel Distributors Association (UKIFDA) Get Winter Ready campaign.
Minister Kwarteng said:
“With colder months on the way, it is crucial that households relying on oil and liquified petroleum gas for their heating are prepared, so I am fully supporting this Get Winter Ready campaign.
“As the global coronavirus pandemic continues to have an impact on everyday life, it is more important than ever to get prepared and stay warm and safe this winter.”
Guy Pulham, UKIFDA Chief Executive adds:
“It is our hope that this campaign will help and encourage households across West Yorkshire who have oil heating to take winter readiness measures. Oil is currently the cheapest form of heating so it's worth ensuring you have enough to last the whole winter. The Covid-19 pandemic also means it is even more crucial to order ahead of the winter months as an increase in the number of coronavirus cases and further potential lockdowns would increase the pressure on the supply chain at the time of year when pressure is already high.
“Due to COVID 19 and more local lockdowns being enforced we particularly want to encourage those who are aged 75+, who use oil to heat their homes to get winter ready and in particular sign up to the Cold Weather Priority (CWP) scheme, an initiative designed to help prevent excess winter deaths.
“The Cold Weather Priority initiative is industry-led and was created in full consultation with, and fully supported by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). It has been designed to enable our UKIFDA member heating oil suppliers to identify those most vulnerable so they can ensure deliveries are prioritised for them when there are supply shortages or the weather is extremely cold.”
Craig Whittaker, Calder Valley’s Member of Parliament, said:
“Oil heating is still used in the Calder Valley, especially in our rural areas. The Cold Weather Priority Scheme is a great initiative. It demonstrates a proactive and forward looking approach to mitigate the effects of a cold winter on our most vulnerable.
Please do encourage anyone who uses oil heating to sign up to the scheme. The scheme will allow providers to prioritise deliveries to those who are at a high risk. This is an important preparation as we enter the winter months.”
UKIFDA has advice on its website about taking winter readiness measures and ordering heating oil during the pandemic which can be found here and to find out more about the Cold Weather Priority, visit https://ukifda.org/cold-weather-priority-initiative/