Heating our homes is a basic human right
There seems to be no end to the misery that high inflation and interest rates are having to many lives.
As we enter February you would like to hope that the coldest spells of winter are behind us, however, most of us will still be relying on heating to ensure that we stay warm in our homes.
Last week we saw media reports of suppliers forcing themselves into vulnerable people and families households in an effort to install pre-payment meters where the household has fallen into debt.
This is a frightening tactic and the way this was being carried out was appalling, with some agencies seeming to actually enjoy doing this to people.
These forced installations are leaving people even worse off and in serious threat of losing electricity and heating to their home altogether.
Not only do people pay a higher price for their energy use on pre-payment meters and if someone doesn’t have money to top up their meter, their supply will be cut off.
In response, some energy suppliers have suspended the forced installation of pre-payment meters and rightly so, however there needs to be a longer-term solution to this.
Within Scotland, around 32,500 warrants have been applied for by energy companies to the Scottish courts to allow energy providers to forcibly install pre-payment meters.
To secure a warrant, the energy provider submits a request under the Rights of Entry (Gas and Electricity Boards) Act 1954.
This is a reserved piece of legislation that is 69 years old and is clearly outdated.
My preference would be to see powers over energy devolved to Scotland in order that we could alter this legislation or put an end to this practice completely.
The exact number of warrants granted is not clear and while there is guidance in place for suppliers applying for warrants, it lacks transparency around how suppliers can carry out these forced installations.
There is also no right for the customer to appeal and the process for the customer to be able to dispute any debt is not clear.
The Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service have recently agreed to review the procedures around the granting of these warrants and I am hopeful this will lead to positive change.
The way we view energy as a society is something which I believe we should look at differently.
Scotland is an energyrich country, there is no reason why people in Scotland should be forced to freeze or not have their lights on.
The right for someone in Scotland to be able to heat their home should be a basic human right.
We would find it inconceivable that we would shut off someone’s water supply because of their financial situation.
Why do we therefore think it is acceptable to shut off the supply of heating where people could freeze because of their financial situation?
While Scotland does not hold the powers to end the Rights of Entry Act, I am glad efforts are being made to explore improvements to the warrant process however it is only right that the UK Government immediately review the legislation which facilitates this practice or devolve the necessary powers to Scotland to do so.