Members of the Scottish Parliament have been urged to put political differences aside to unite in support measures that will help end fuel poverty.
In a letter sent to all MSPs, politicians have been asked to ensure the next First Minister does not abandon government policies which could help end the cold damp homes crisis.
For over 400,000 Scots, their homes are almost uninhabitable due to the cold and damp.
The letter, signed by leading civil society organisations and coordinated by the End Fuel Poverty Coalition and Energy Action Scotland, warns that among the most vulnerable, the crisis is even worse.
New figures from research among Social Workers Union members has found that 69% of Scottish social workers have seen the people they support living in cold damp homes.
The letter states that the health complications of this are potentially serious: “Everyone remembers the tragic case of Awaab Ishak, but people young and old, with disabilities or with a range of health conditions are at risk.”
The campaigners have demanded that MSPs from across all parties to unite in support of:
- A Heat in Buildings Bill which is ambitious in its vision for improving the energy efficiency and insulation of the nation’s homes and contains a clear fuel poverty duty enshrined in the legislation.
- The current Housing Bill that will enhance tenants’ rights and provide financial protections for tenants during the ongoing cost of living crisis.
- Additional Government support in future budgets and legislation to help households cope with the cost of living crisis.
- Reintroducing the Fuel Insecurity Fund to help at least those most at risk of harm and struggling in energy debt.
- The new Pension Age Winter Heating Payment being fundamentally better targeted than the Winter Fuel Payment that it replaces.
- A strengthened framework of support for the renewables and offshore wind sectors and the fastest possible “just transition” for the oil and gas sector, as described in the Draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan.
A spokesperson for the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, commented:
“Any further delays to boosting energy efficiency plans, protecting tenants rights and organising financial support for the most vulnerable will hit households hard.
“We need MSPs to come together and unite on a programme that will tackle the long term causes of Scotland’s cold homes crisis and provide emergency support to those most at risk next winter.”
Other groups signing the letter range from the Poverty Alliance and the Disability Poverty Campaign Group to Fathers Network Scotland, the National Pensioners Convention and Parents for Future Scotland.
Local groups such as Aberdeen Heat & Power, East Kilbride Housing Association, Musselburgh Food Pantry, Stirling District Citizens Advice and Tighean Innse Gall have also backed the letter.
One signatory, Gaynor Allen from Sustaining Musselburgh, which is organising an event to help East Lothian residents find out how to make their homes warmer and less expensive to heat on 1st June, said:
“Everyday we hear more shocking stories of the hardships people are facing due to high energy bills and poorly insulated homes. We need both the UK and Scottish Governments to prioritise the short term and long term solutions to fix people’s cold homes.”
Warm This Winter spokesperson Fiona Waters, added:
“What voters really care about is the cost of living crisis driven by high energy bills that is still putting unbearable pressure on millions of households around the country.
“We need governments in each nation who will prioritise fixing our broken energy system by getting us off expensive oil and gas and onto cheap, homegrown renewables and by properly insulating our leaky housing stock to bring down bills for good.
“Politicians should not lose sight of that or they will pay at the ballot box.”
To read the full letter, click here.