Simon Francis, coordinator of the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, said: “With energy prices now set to rise again, hundreds of thousands of Scottish homes are already trapped in fuel poverty, and the structure of the UK energy market continues to fail them.
“But Scotland’s long-term energy security cannot rely on a declining North Sea, where firms have already extracted 90% of commercially viable gas while posting billions in profits. With the UK set to produce insufficient gas to meet heating needs by 2027, investment in insulation, clean heating and renewables is not just a climate measure, it is the most direct route to protecting households from global price volatility.
“While many system reforms are still reserved to the Westminster Government, Scottish Ministers must not use this as an excuse for inaction. The Scottish Government needs to boost community energy projects, establish a £20 million annual fuel poverty crisis fund, introduce a social tariff built around actual energy need and treat retrofit as a national infrastructure priority. MSPs must use today’s debate to press both governments to act before next winter.”
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