A bill outlining new measures to tackle fuel poverty was debated in Parliament on 20 February.
Members were asked to agree to the general principles of the Fuel Poverty (Target, Definition and Strategy) (Scotland) Bill. The Bill aims to:
- set a target that, by 2040, no more than 5% of Scottish households will be in fuel poverty
- establish a new definition of fuel poverty that better aligns fuel poverty with relative income poverty, and
- ensure that a new, long term Fuel Poverty Strategy be prepared, published and presented before Parliament.
Kevin Stewart, Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning said: “In this day and age, it is unacceptable that any Scottish household should have to choose between having the heating on and cooking their dinner. To become a fairer and just society, it is crucial that we make real headway towards ending the scourge of fuel poverty.”
Pixie Energy is an incubator and a facilitator of strategic research and project work, focusing on energy regulation, policy and markets at the local and national level. Find out more about Pixie Energy