Campaigners turn up the heat on Holyrood in call for fuel poverty inquiry

PRESS RELEASE

Citizens Advice Scotland is one of 13 leading Scottish charities who are urging the Scottish Parliament to hold an inquiry into fuel poverty as a priority of the forthcoming term.

In a joint letter, sent today to Holyrood's backbench Local Government and Communities committee, the group – which also includes Shelter, Energy Action Scotland, the Child Poverty Action Group and Help the Aged - says the numbers of Scots still forced to choose between heating their homes or paying for other essentials exposes a persistently high level of personal misery.

According to figures published in April, there were 419,000 Scottish households living in fuel poverty in 2004/2005, compared with 350,000 the previous year and 293,000 the year before.  Pensioners, single adults and lone parents are the groups most affected - but no type of household is immune, says the group.

The increase is predominantly due to rising fuel-costs and with further increases in fuel price since 2005, the present level of fuel poverty is estimated to be even higher – at around 600,000 households. 

Worryingly, Communities Scotland notes that even if prices had remained the same, there would have been no significant downward shift in levels of fuel poverty between 2002 and 2005. 

This suggests that measures to improve both income levels and energy efficiency have failed to make any further inroads in reducing the numbers of households experiencing fuel poverty. 

In their letter, the charities point to an Executive commitment in the Housing Act 2001 to eradicate fuel poverty, as far as reasonably practical, by 2016.  While there has been some progress towards this aim much remains to be done, it insists.

The letter states that: “a committee inquiry would enable a thorough review of progress to date, examining what has and hasn't worked, and identify what further interventions are required.”

Kaliani Lyle, chief executive of Citizens Advice Scotland, said: “The rise in the numbers experiencing fuel poverty is a real concern. New ideas and a concerted effort are required if we are to achieve the goal of its eradication by 2016.”

Norman Kerr, director of Energy Action Scotland, said: “Since the advent of the Scottish Parliament in 1999 much has been done to recognise and address fuel poverty. Government schemes such as the Central Heating and Warm Deal are enormously helpful but they need to be reviewed in light of the fuel poverty figures. We have a duty to all vulnerable households in Scotland to keep the issue of fuel poverty firmly in front of our politicians.”

Peter Kelly, director of the Poverty Alliance, said: “Despite the attention given to the issue of fuel poverty in Scotland over the last eight years, the problem is far from being solved. This inquiry would help highlight areas where lasting change can be made. It would also signal the Parliament's intention to put issues of social justice at the heart of its activities for the next four years.”

Liz Duncan, director of Help the Aged, said: ”We must not forget that all these numbers represent real people having to make hard choices about heating their homes or eating a decent meal. We need a holistic approach to make sure promises of a better future are kept.”

Alan Dickson, chief executive at Capability Scotland stated: "Our own research indicates that disabled people are disproportionately affected by fuel poverty. It's time to look at the broadest range of interventions to ensure that eradication by 2016 happens."

Duncan McLaren, director of Friends of the Earth Scotland said: “Fuel poverty can not be solved by falling fuel prices or improved benefits take-up on their own; only sustained investment in housing and  energy conservation can provide a lasting solution, which also will also tackle climate-change.  Much has been done, yet we still risk missing fuel poverty reduction targets, hence the urgent need for a policy review.”

Graham Kerr of energywatch Scotland said: “It is unacceptable that almost one in three households is spending more than 10% of its income on energy. A new Parliament offers the opportunity to look closely at the both the challenges of eradicating fuel poverty and identify the solutions”

Chas Booth, parliamentary officer for the Association for the Conservation of Energy, said: “Scotland needs a step-change in home energy efficiency if we are to end the scourge of fuel poverty. Only with increased investment in insulation will we see warm homes without a warming planet.”

Dr Dan Barlow, WWF Scotland's head of policy, said: "Improving the energy efficiency of Scotland's existing housing stock would help tackle fuel poverty and cut Scotland's climate emissions bringing both social and environmental benefits.  An inquiry would help identify the best opportunities for making rapid progress."

Archie Stoddart, director of Shelter Scotland, said: "The scale of fuel poverty is at, present, mostly dependent on the price of fuel on international markets, something which Scotland can only do so much to control. It is time for Scotland to get serious about protecting families and older people from the ebb and flow of market prices by investing in high quality, dry warm homes."

The letter’s signatories are Citizens Advice Scotland, Shelter Scotland, Energy Action Scotland, Energywatch, the Child Poverty Action Group Scotland, Capability Scotland, Friends of the Earth Scotland, Help the Aged Scotland, the Poverty Alliance, WWF Scotland, Age Concern Scotland, Association for the Conservation of Energy, and the Church and Society Committee of the Church of Scotland.