News Release: Scottish Fuel Poverty Charity says Government must ‘Grasp the Nettle’ of Fuel Poverty

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Urgent action that will focus clearly on the fuel poor is now needed, says fuel poverty charity Energy Action Scotland, following the recommendations published today (July 28) by the Business & Enterprise Committee of the House of Commons.

The charity believes the committee’s concern ‘that fuel poverty programmes are insufficiently directed at all those in real fuel poverty, such as disabled people’ is very real.  Energy Action Scotland further believes that the committee’s call for the Government to undertake “a fundamental re-think of its approach to tackling fuel poverty” is essential.

This process has already been started in the last few months by the Scottish Government’s Fuel Poverty Forum, of which Energy Action Scotland is a member.  Due to report to Scottish Ministers in September, the charity’s view is that the Scottish Government and members of the Scottish Parliament need to ‘grasp the nettle’ and ensure that the key fuel poverty programmes – the Warm Deal and the Central Heating Programme – are properly resourced and targeted at those who are in fuel poverty and are therefore the most in need of assistance.

Norman Kerr, Director, Energy Action Scotland said: “The BERR Committee report concludes that efforts need to focus on improving the housing stock of the fuel poor, as the most cost-effective means of reducing both their energy bills and their carbon emissions, and this is indeed essential in our view.

“With high energy prices, thousands more people will fear their energy bills and start to switch off heating or avoid cooking hot food this winter.  Improving the energy efficiency of all homes is important and we must start with those who are most at risk and in the worst circumstances because they need help now.”

Energy Action Scotland is also of the view that financial assistance with energy bills is needed meantime.  It therefore supports the committee’s view that energy suppliers’ initiatives such as social tariffs must be clearly defined both in terms of the price charged and those customers that qualify for them.  The UK Government and the regulator, Ofgem, must therefore ensure this happens before the winter when the effects of energy price rises will really bite.

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For further details contact:

Elizabeth Gore, PR Manager, Energy Action Scotland on: 0141 226 3064 or email: e.gore@eas.org.uk

Background notes:

1.  Energy Action Scotland is the national charity which campaigns for an end to fuel poverty and works to promote warm, dry homes for all.

2.  Fuel poverty is the inability to afford adequate warmth.  The three main causes are poor energy efficiency of the home, low disposable household income and high energy prices.  It is defined as having to pay more than 10% of household income on domestic energy.

3.  The Business & Enterprise Committee of the House of Commons today (July 28) published its report ‘Energy Prices, Fuel Poverty and Ofgem’.