Liberal Democrat MP Richard Foord has warned that people across the South West are bearing the brunt of inflated energy prices as new data reveals the region suffers from the worst fuel poverty gap in the country.

Mr Foord, MP for Tiverton and Honiton who represents the Uffculme and Culmstock areas is calling for urgent action to address the situation, including a new home insulation package and an extension of the energy price cap.

A household's fuel poverty gap is defined as the reduction in fuel bills needed to take a household out of fuel poverty. This data is regularly collected by the government.

Fresh figures show the gap is higher in the South West than in any other region, coming in at £521 against a national average gap of £338.

Commenting on the situation Mr Foord said: "It’s unacceptable that people living in homes across the West Country are being left to face the largest fuel poverty gap in the whole country, almost £200 higher than the national average. 

“We know that our communities face many unique challenges when it comes to staying warm, including having older, less energy efficient homes and large numbers of people who live off-grid and buy fuel in advance.

“However, the scale of this disparity is surprising and highlights the need for swift action to protect people, to keep bills down, and to reduce this gap. 

“It’s clear we need to see a wider package of long-term measures, aimed at insulating our homes, helping people to stay warm, and keeping bills down. This is what I will keep fighting for.”