The Scottish Budget includes welcome funding for energy efficiency, housing and the transition to clean energy. It also includes significant support with the cost of living, including extension of help for families with young children and tax reforms designed to reduce the income tax paid by over half of the country.
But with an estimated 800,000 Scottish households living in fuel poverty and energy debt continuing to rise, a spokesperson for the End Fuel Poverty Coalition commented:
“Any investment that helps make homes warmer and provides support to struggling households will matter to many people. But after five winters of high energy bills, this Budget still does not match the scale of the fuel poverty challenge facing Scotland.
“With an election approaching, it’s understandable that politicians may be tempted to keep their powder dry. But cold, damp homes and rising energy debt won’t pause for the campaign trail. There is no excuse for inaction when hundreds of thousands of households are struggling to stay warm.
“Against that backdrop, inflation-linked increases to energy efficiency budgets means the country will risk standing still rather than moving forward. We need a step change, not business as usual.
“The current Government should use the months before the election to build a far more ambitious programme where warm homes are treated as national infrastructure and where crisis funding is in place for winter 2026/7.
“Meanwhile, Ministers must press harder for UK-wide energy pricing reform, so households are not left dependent on emergency support year after year.”