Falkirk families with no gas are facing higher fuel bills

Despite a pledge by the UK energy regulator to get more homes connected to the grid, government data reveals 7790 households in Falkirk do not have access to gas and could be struggling to adequately heat their properties.

Energy regulator Ofgem says access to gas can make a big difference to living standards for people in fuel poverty, as gas is a cheaper method of cooking or heating a home than other fuels.

A spokesman for the charity National Energy Action said: “Off-grid gas properties can have significantly higher energy costs than those with connections due to a reliance on expensive alternatives such as oil, LPG or electricity in order to heat homes.

“This high cost means households can struggle to adequately heat their properties, which can lead to poor health, wellbeing and even mortality.”

Under an Ofgem scheme, gas distribution companies are required to connect more vulnerable and fuel poor households to the grid.

The companies cover the cost of the initial installation, which is then recovered from the household over time.

Each gas distribution company has a target for the number of fuel poor households it needs to connect by 2021.

However, more than 3.5 million households in Great Britain remain cut off from the gas network.

In Falkirk, the proportion of unconnected homes has fallen from 12 per cent in 2015.

The North East is the most connected, with only 6 per cent of homes going without a supply.

The worst regions for a lack of gas connection are the South West (21 per cent), followed by Scotland (20 per cent) and inner London (18 per cent).

National Energy Action said it was welcome news that more homes were being connected to the grid, but called for further action.

The spokesman continued: “It is clear that more needs to be done. Ofgem should use their upcoming price control review to extend and expand the scheme, so that more fuel poor households can be given gas connections.

“They should also ensure that low income households have access to financial assistance to help install gas boilers and energy efficiency measures to complement the connection, so they aren’t left with a connection that they are unable to make the most of.”

A spokesman for Ofgem said more than 105,000 homes had been hooked up since 2008 through its gas network extension scheme.

He said: “We want to help more households get connected to the gas networks and are challenging network companies to go the extra mile to make this happen.

“In 2015 we increased the target for new connections by 20 per cent, to at least 91,000 additional homes between 2013 and the end of the current price controls in 2021.”

Ofgem is now consulting on whether to retain the scheme beyond 2021.