Mid-Scotland and Fife MSP, Murdo Fraser, has called for real change to help residents stuck in fuel poverty as new figures have revealed the true scale of indebtedness in the region. Figures provided by the UK’s largest specialist debt charity, StepChange, show that in Mid-Scotland and Fife, 13.3% of clients had electricity arrears in 2016 (up from 10% in 2015) and 13.72% of clients had gas arrears (up from 9.9% in 2015).
The Scottish Government’s own numbers have shown that 38% of residents in Perth and Kinross, 36% in Fife, 34% in Stirling residents and 32% in Clackmannanshire are having trouble heating their homes.
Fuel poverty is defined as spending more than 10% of your income on utilities with the Scotland wide average being 34.9%.
In light of the figures, Murdo has urged the Scottish Government to invest heavily in improving energy efficiency. People living in a home with low energy performance are three and a half times more likely to be suffering from fuel poverty as those in a home with high energy performance.
To tackle this issue, the Scottish Conservatives have called for significant investment to ensure that all homes meet the EPC C rating or above by the end of the next decade – a call supported by the recent Scottish Fuel Poverty Strategic Working Group report.
Commenting Murdo Fraser MSP said:
“These figures are really concerning, particularly because they show that more and more people are struggling to pay their heating bills in Perth and Kinross, Fife, Stirling and Clackmannanshire.
“With nearly one in three households in Mid-Scotland and Fife in fuel poverty, it’s clear something major has to be done. Having a warm home during the winter shouldn’t be a luxury, yet many people across the region are struggling to heat their homes properly.
“The Scottish Government’s current strategies are failing and that is why we need transformational change. Ensuring that older homes are retrofitted for energy efficiency is important as the last thing we need is expensive heat escaping through windows and doors.
“That is why we are calling for the Scottish Government to prioritise making Scottish homes more energy efficient. Setting a target to get all homes up to adequate standards, backed up with significant investment is needed to reduce the number of people in Mid-Scotland and Fife struggling with their gas and electricity bills.”