Today’s 7% cut in Ofgem’s price cap falls far short of the bold action that is needed to make bills affordable, according to Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS). 

CAS Director of Impact David Hilferty said, 

“This is a more significant decrease in the price cap than we’ve seen for some time, which is welcome. However, it’s nowhere near enough to make an impact on the problem. Energy bills will remain unaffordable for many thousands of people across Scotland. 

“Every day, advisers from our local CABs and our Extra Help Unit see the harm that this causes as people grapple with the brutal reality of not being able to afford their bills.  

“In the period from October to December, almost 3,200 people in Scotland needed our support with fuel vouchers – that’s 3,200 people driven to absolute crisis, unable to heat their homes, cook meals, heat water or even put on the lights. 

“Over the same period, nearly 1,200 people sought our help with energy debt, and more than two‑thirds (68%) were living with a serious health condition or disability. The average level of energy debt we saw in that three-month period was over £2,300, rising to £2,800 in rural areas. 

“This is the deeply damaging reality that people are being forced to endure, and it is not solved by today’s price cap announcement. We need urgent, bold and targeted solutions that match the scale of the crisis, like a social tariff to cut energy bills for those on low incomes or with unavoidable high usage and a robust scheme for energy debt relief.” 

You can read the latest CAS energy briefing here.