I have called on the Scottish and UK Government’s to treat soaring energy prices as a national emergency in order to help tackle the ongoing cost of living crisis.
I have raised a motion in the Scottish Parliament, which you can read below, highlighting that the energy price cap is predicted to rise in April, which could see the average household bill soar by over £700 a year.
Right now, because of record high energy costs, people are already choosing between heating and eating in Scotland. It is quite simply unacceptable in 21st century Scotland for this to be happening.
The average household energy bill is set to cost around £2000 a year from April which is an unaffordable figure for many to be able to meet alongside other increases in the cost of living.
People are already struggling with household bills and as such the UK Government needs to take action on addressing these soaring costs as a matter of national priority before more people are forced to choose between heating and eating.
Older people in particular are most at risk from these huge price rises, with many older people on limited or fixed budgets. If they aren’t able to heat their homes properly then we can expect health problems to increase and with that the endangering of lives.
To tackle this the UK Government needs to cut VAT on energy bills, redistribute the VAT windfall already received to help those with the lowest incomes and consider radical reforms to ensure that vulnerable fuel poor households are protected. This needs to be done immediately before more and more people are forced into poverty from soaring costs.”
Motion text below:
Motion ref. S6M-02714
Increasing Energy Prices
Submitted by: Alex Rowley, Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour.
Date lodged: Friday, January 7, 2022
That the Parliament believes that increasing energy prices should be treated as a national emergency, in order to help tackle what it sees as the ongoing cost of living crisis; understands that the UK Government’s energy price cap will be revised by Ofgem in February 2022, which may see customer bills rising from April; recognises the reports from industry experts that indicate energy prices will increase by at least 50% this year, which is on top of already increased energy costs; understands that the average household bill may increase by over £700 a year from April alone, pushing the average cost to £2,000 a year; calls on the UK Government to take action on addressing these increasing costs as a matter of national priority before more people are forced to choose between heating and eating; expresses concern that many families are reportedly already struggling with household bills and that any further increase in energy costs may see more and more pushed into, or deeper into, fuel poverty; is worried that older people will be most at risk from these increased costs, which it considers could have serious health impacts and may endanger lives; is shocked that, according to the latest figures from Energy Action Scotland, an average of 24% of households across Scotland are already in fuel poverty, and supports the calls on the UK Government to cut VAT on energy bills, redistribute the VAT windfall already received to help those with the lowest incomes, and consider radical reforms to ensure that vulnerable fuel poor households are protected.
