THE “significantly higher costs” of heating rural homes and running cars in the countryside has been flagged in a national poverty report that includes Devon.

In-depth analysis shows that petrol prices in parts of Devon are nearly 20p per litre more expensive than some London boroughs even though rural drivers have to travel far greater distances for their regular journeys.

And with many homes not connected to mains gas, there is a huge reliance on heating oil – a fuel that is not subject to the energy price cap.

The report, produced by the Labour Rural Research Group and sponsored by the Countryside Alliance, features direct contributions from Devon County Council.

It comes at a prudent moment, given the oil shock caused by war in the Middle East that has led to huge spikes in the prices of home heating oil and vehicle fuel.

And just this week, Devon County Council’s cabinet discussed the Crisis and Resilience Fund (CaRF), a government scheme that is replacing the Household Support Fund and is aimed at providing a “targeted approach for individuals facing financial shock”. It’s not clear yet what the eligibility will be for residents considering applying to the fund, which will launch in early April.

In the rural poverty report, Devon County Council highlighted the “disparity” in home heating costs for residents who rely on heating oil or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), stating that for households off the gas grid, “oil central heating is a minimum of 50 per cent to 100 per cent more expensive, and electric heating 250 per cent to 300 per cent more expensive” than mains gas.

The report adds: “This significantly higher cost places an additional and unavoidable financial burden on rural households, further intensifying energy related cost-of-living pressures.

“To make matters harder, prices for alternative fuels are not regulated in the same way as gas and electricity prices,” the report adds.

“This means they can vary day-to-day and between different local areas to a much greater extent.

“This price volatility leaves off-grid rural households particularly exposed to sudden cost increases, further intensifying financial pressures and making budgeting more difficult.”

In terms of petrol prices, the report references North Devon’s Lynton and Lynmouth as having only one available filling station, which at the time of the report charged £1.429 per litre.

“By comparison, the cheapest of several options in Camden Town- in London – is £1.239 per litre,” the report states.

“This price disparity was also described by our Welsh focus group, with one female participant stating ‘everything’s extortionate… ‘specially fuel, because you’ve got to drive everywhere. The largest thing I pay for is fuel’.”

The report also cited vehicle maintenance as another issue for Devon residents, a pertinent point given it acknowledged that transport costs are “not a matter of choice for rural households, but a structural necessity”.

Testimony from a Dartmoor resident stated: “There is no public transport nearer than five miles down a long hill.

“One must have a car to get to it. More penalties applied to drivers trying to force us on to public transport are ludicrous.”

The report also acknowledges that so-called ‘active travel’ policies, which aim to get residents out of cars and walking or cycling instead, are “shaped by urban assumptions and fail to account for the structural dependence on private vehicles in rural areas”.

“Active travel schemes can – and should play a role in supporting transport and improving connectivity – but for the UK’s most isolated villages, there needs to be a real understanding that connecting villages to work and school just isn’t possible simply by improving walking or cycling routes,” the report states.

“That’s not to say these same rural areas can’t benefit from active travel investment as it can bring with it cycling and walking based tourism – but policymakers need to be realistic about the limits of active travel in the most remote rural villages.”