Love thy neighbour by ending fuel poverty

Community energy projects should be identif i ed as a specif i c objective of land reform, writes Sally FosterFulton

In AnCIEnT times, so the book of Exodus tells us, Moses encountered God in the form of a burning bush. Though the bush was ablaze, it was not consumed by the fire.

This symbol of the burning bush, of God’s constancy and support, has for many years been known as a symbol for Presbyterianism, and it is at the centre of the Church of Scotland’s own corporate logo.

Imagine an energy source which can burn and not be consumed. Imagine light and heat in abundance. Warmth and brightness so all can be comforted and cared for.

In the Church, many times we speak of things such as this as spiritual metaphors, how the love of God affects the soul; but we are equally committed to serving the practical, bodily needs of people. As Christian Aid’s slogan once read: “We believe in life before death.”

In Scotland today there are people who struggle to afford proper heating. How do we work together to help people live in the warmth and brightness and comfort which we all would wish for ourselves?

I urge energy companies, landlords, householders, with the support of government, to work towards making fuel poverty history.

Lots of good work has been done to reduce the number of fuel-poor households in Scotland, but with the prospect of higher fuel bills more people will struggle to make ends meet.

It has been reported in the last few days that big energy companies are making big profits whilst at the same time, many people can’t heat their homes. It is appalling that it is often those on the lowest incomes who are trapped into paying a poverty premium by being forced to pay for their fuel in the most expensive way, through “pay as you go” prepayment cards. Looking towards winter, there is the potential for a financial snowball effect.

The commitment of the Church to challenging inequality is reflected in the report of the

which was presented to the Church’s General Assembly in May 2012, A Right Relationship With Money, which called for four priorities for our economic life: reducing inequality, ending poverty, ensuring sustainability and promoting mutuality.

Rising energy costs will only add further misery to an already heavy burden; with inflation rising faster than wages, and the impact of welfare reform setting in, budgets for many families are being squeezed now, more than ever. Some parents will be faced with tough decisions which they shouldn’t have to make: to feed themselves or their children, to heat their home or buy essential clothing.

Protecting the most vulnerable in society cannot be a party political issue, or an issue that only concerns those who are poor; we all need to consider how they can best collectively assist those who struggle to make ends meet.

Autumn is not far away, and in Scotland we may get a cold snap at any time. Targets to reduce and eliminate fuel poverty are set years in the future, but for the people who during winter are never warm in their homes, for those who worry about switching the heater on and watching the meter spin round, something needs to be done.

The relationship between energy and how we respond to climate change is crucial. While there may be some who argue that burning fossil fuels – gas, oil and coal – will reduce energy prices, the Church has long argued that there is an imperative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to support an expansion of renewable energy generation Are hydro, wind and solar the modern-day burning bush, limitless energy sources which will never be consumed?

I have increasing concerns that wealthy landowners are benefitting from the rapid expansion of renewable energy in the form of on-shore wind power. The lairds can rent out the wilder parts of their glens and estates. The big energy firms too are in the money, with energy generation coming from the power of the wind, supported by subsidies. But it is a deplorable paradox that fuel poverty in Scotland is greatest in rural areas – which are at the forefront of Scotland’s energy revolution. Energy rich, but fuel poor; this is an inequitable pattern of land ownership, which means most benefit is enjoyed by a small proportion of the population. At the same time rising fuel prices, particularly oil and the lack of piped gas, lower winter temperatures and lower rural incomes place rural communities at a disadvantage; so levels of rural fuel poverty are correspondingly higher.

More needs to be done to help communities develop their own projects, and for there to be a greater focus on this issue in the current discussions about land reform. Local communities should see more income from renewable energy projects to help alleviate fuel poverty and improve energy efficiency. The development of community energy projects should be identified as a specific objective of land reform, both to develop community income and to help tackle fuel poverty.

In the Church we hear from churches around the world who are experiencing the effects of climate change. In Tuvalu and Bangladesh, where rising sea levels threaten to destroy communities, or in sub-Saharan Africa where predictable weather patterns are changing, increasing the occurrence of flooding and drought. In Bolivia, melting glaciers are affecting the supply of fresh water to indigenous farmers.

We cannot heat our own homes whilst destroying the lives and livelihoods of our neighbours. We too have a duty to remember future generations and to be responsible for our time as stewards of this Earth.

Sally Foster-Fulton is Convenor of the Church of Scotland’s Church and Society Council.