Council back Holyrood in fuel poverty fight

West Lothian Council have backed Holyrood’s new proposals to cut fuel poverty but have warned that it will be hard for Scotland to meet ambitious goals.

They have called for a more realistic timetable to see results.

As revealed last week, average household energy costs increased by 170 per cent between 2002 and 2015 and this continues to be the main factor influencing fuel poverty.

The Scottish Government have set a target that by 2040, no more than five per cent of households in Scotland will be in fuel poverty.

Two of the four drivers which govern fuel poverty are improving energy efficiency and improving how energy is used in homes – and the council can control these.

Home improvement projects are under way and the council have signed up to national progammes to improve efficiency, including in the long term the introduction of renewable energy sources.

But they can’t control the other two – incomes and energy prices – and it was this element that prompted Donald Forrest, head of Service, to tell the Council’s Executive in his report “the response does raise some concerns around the Scottish Government’s ability to meet any targets that they setss, given that they have limited control over energy prices and income which are the two main drivers of fuel poverty.”

A West Lothian Council spokesperson said: “West Lothian Council believe that the target date of 2040 is too long and the target date should be 2030 to closer align with other efforts to improve energy efficiency in the housing stock.

“The Scottish Government a l s o h ave ma d e a commitment to end child poverty by 2030 with targets set and actions to be taken which clearly align with the Fuel Poverty (Scotland) Bill.