Local MSP John Lamont has joined calls for a “transformational change” to help tackle fuel poverty in the Borders as new figures show the percentage of clients of a leading debt charity struggling to pay their electricity bills has more than doubled in a single year.
The figures, provided by the UK’s largest specialist debt charity, StepChange, show that in Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, 15.1% of clients had electricity arrears in 2016 (up from 6.9% in 2015) and 12% of clients had gas arrears (up from 8% in 2015).
The Scottish Government estimates that 39% of households in the Scottish Borders are in fuel poverty, higher than the Scotland wide average of 34.9%.
In light of the figures, John Lamont 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.
John Lamont MSP said: “These figures are really concerning, particularly because they show that more and more people are struggling to pay their heating bills in the Borders.
“With nearly 2 our of every 5 households in the Borders 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 Borderers are struggling to heat their homes properly.
“The Scottish Government’s current strategies have failed and that is why we need transformational change. The focus needs to be on energy efficiency and performance so people are not wasting money trying to keep their homes warm.
“That is why my party is 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 the Borders struggling with their gas and electricity bills.”