TAKE NOTICE: Energy Action issue ‘final demand’ to Scot-Govt. to end fuel poverty

The Scottish Government has been issued with a ‘final demand’ to end fuel poverty by Energy Action Scotland –  the national fuel poverty charity.

The letter sent to all Holyrood MPs as well as to Scottish Ministers is a ‘final reminder’ that it is exactly one year until the statutory duty to end fuel poverty must be met. 

The Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 states that the Scottish Government has ‘to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that people are not living in fuel poverty in Scotland by November 2016’.

With exactly one year to go, it is clear that the target will be missed.  However, Scottish Ministers have not yet said what will come next.

Norman Kerr, Director, Energy Action Scotland, said: “There are currently 39% of households affected and with the target date to end fuel poverty exactly one year away, we are pressing the Scottish Government to set out how this can realistically be achieved.

 “We are urging Scottish Ministers to acknowledge that the target will not be met and to start discussions now on producing a new fuel poverty strategy for Scotland.

 “Making sure that people can afford the basic right of living in a warm home is our key objective.”

 A set of six key recommendations from the charity has also been sent to Scottish Ministers and has been published on the Energy Action Scotland website. These key recommendations include;

1. Resetting the target to end fuel poverty
2. Funding fuel poverty programmes
3. Consulting early on energy efficiency in the private sector
4. Pledging to make fuel poverty a central pillar of Scotland’s Energy Efficiency Programme
5.  Reviewing new devolved powers in relation to fuel poverty, and
6. Creating a Fuel Poverty Cross-Departmental Group in the Scottish Government and a Cross-Party Group on Fuel Poverty and Domestic Energy Efficiency in the Scottish Parliament.