Warning over fuel poverty in Scotland

ALMOST 170,000 more households could be forced into fuel poverty if Scottish Power's price hike is replicated by the other suppliers.

The new figure was revealed in answers to parliamentary questions from the Scottish Labour Party.

Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure Alex Neil said as of 2009, 770,000 households were estimated to be in fuel poverty, but if recently announced price increases by Scottish Power were replicated by other suppliers, up to 169,000 more households could suffer.

Last month Scottish Power announced an average 19 per cent increase to gas customers and 10 per cent for electricity customers from 1 August.

Labour leader Iain Gray said: "These shocking figures expose the harsh reality of big power companies ramping up fuel bills.

"Price hikes like this affect every Scot, but they will have a disproportionate impact on those who are on the lowest incomes.

"It is our duty to help the poorest and most vulnerable in our society, who will be hit hardest by these price increases through these tough times."

Gray added: "With more than one in three Scots now struggling to heat their homes it underlines just how wrong the SNP's decision to slash the fuel poverty budget by almost a third was.

"I urge the SNP government to wake up to the reality facing hard-pressed Scots and urgently reverse the cut to the fuel poverty budget."

Fuel poverty is defined as spending 10 per cent or more of household income on domestic fuel bills.

A Scottish Government spokesman said: "There has been good progress on improving the energy efficiency of Scotland's homes but, time and again, the Scottish Government's efforts to lift people out of fuel poverty are being undermined by high fuel prices."

The spokesman added that Gray's claims about the Scottish Government were wrong.

He said: "The Scottish Government's universal home insulation scheme's budget has actually been increased by 25 per cent, from 10 million to 12.5 million."