Fuel Poverty: State of the Nations
A report has been published by the Fuel Poverty Monitor detailing regional levels of fuel poverty in the UK. Citizens Advice Scotland has branded the figures as “shameful”, pointing out that a third of households in Scotland live in fuel poverty, rising to 65% of pensioners.
The Scottish Government has a statutory duty to ensure nobody lives in fuel poverty by 2016, but there are doubts that this target will be met, due to rocketing fuel prices and cuts to the fuel poverty budget.
The Scottish Household Conditions Survey estimates that for every 5% increase in energy prices, a further 46,000 households move in to fuel poverty. Although measures announced in last week’s spending review to reduce fuel poverty by improving energy efficiency in Scotland’s homes have been welcomed, there has been criticism of the decision to reduce expenditure from £70.9m in 2010-2011 to £48m in 2011-12.
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