Rachel Gilmour, Liberal Democrat MP for Tiverton and Minehead, has described new Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s plan to remove VAT from domestic electricity as “tinkering” and warned it does not go far enough to help people in rural areas. The government’s plan to cut VAT on electricity to zero from Thursday, October 1, would save the average household about £45 a year. Ms Gilmour said: "We need to get money back into the pockets of people in my constituency, but tinkering with VAT on energy bills simply doesn't cut it. Once again, households in our community that rely on heating oil risk being left out in the cold. She said: "It’s a scandal that 5,382 households in our area worry every day about keeping their homes warm."