Calls have been made for immediate clarity on heating oil support.

Dwyfor Meirionnydd politicians MP Liz Saville Roberts and MS Mabon ap Gwynfor are calling on Welsh Government to urgently clarify how financial support will be directed to households in rural Gwynedd that rely on heating oil.

This follows confirmation Wales is set to receive £3.8 million from the UK government to help vulnerable off‑grid communities facing soaring fuel costs because of increasing instability because of the conflict in the Middle East.

The funding - announced in response to significant price rises linked to the US-Iran conflict - aims to support households that do not have access to mains gas and are instead dependent on heating oil, LPG, or other alternative fuels.

Mrs Saville Roberts and Mr ap Gwynfor raised further concern that many struggling households may not be eligible for the Welsh Government’s Discretionary Assistance Fund, despite facing significant hardship caused by the surge in heating oil prices. They stressed that eligibility gaps risk leaving large numbers of rural residents without any meaningful support.

They further warned households in Wales are likely to be disproportionately impacted, given that 8 per cent of Welsh homes rely on heating oil, compared with a UK average of 3.6 per cent.

They said: “Rural communities in Dwyfor Meirionnydd and right across Wales are already under immense financial pressure.

“With heating oil prices rising sharply due to global instability, many households in our constituency are desperately awaiting clarity on how this £3.8 million will reach them.

“We need urgent reassurance from the Welsh Government that this money will be directed swiftly, transparently, and fairly to the communities that need it most.

“We also know there are families who fall just outside the Discretionary Assistance Fund criteria but are still grappling with unmanageable heating bills.

“We need firm assurances that the Welsh Government is pressing the UK Government for further, targeted support for these households.

“Wales must not be left to rely on schemes that do not reflect the reality of rural energy costs.

“Wales has more than double the proportion of heating‑oil‑dependent homes compared to the UK average. That means families here are far more exposed to volatile global fuel markets.

“The Welsh Government must confirm how support will be delivered, when it will arrive, and how it will ensure that those most at risk do not fall through the cracks.

“This money must not be held up by bureaucracy.

“With a Senedd election approaching, Welsh Government must provide guarantees that pre‑election procedures and administrative restrictions won’t delay the roll‑out of this vital support.

“The rural communities we represent cannot afford delays.”

Census data from 2021 shows that 19.7 per cent of households in Dwyfor Meirionnydd used oil central heating, compared with the national average of 4.9 per cent, and an average of 7.8 per cent across Wales.