Scots on low incomes need relief from rocketing costs of energy bills

Get the latest Daily Record breaking news on WhatsApp

Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info

Join us on WhatsApp

PEOPLE are sick to the back teeth of sky-high energy prices which seem never-ending.

And the practice of imposing standing charges likened to a “poll tax” disproportionately hits the poorest.

With fuel poverty and energy debt on the rise, low-income Scots deserve to finally get some proper bills relief.

However, reforms announced by regulator Ofgem to force energy suppliers to offer tariffs with zero standing charge from next winter – while welcome – aren’t nearly robust enough.

Anti-poverty campaigners are quite right to point out that without more serious efforts to rein in the energy market, suppliers will simply shift extra costs to customers via other means.

A recent survey found 40 per cent of households are worried about energy costs this winter – with a third already struggling to pay bills. That tracks with official figures showing one in three households are in fuel poverty.

And that was before measures like the removal of the universal Winter Fuel Payment for pensioners.

Energy giants need to be brought into line to offer genuine affordable energy to low-income households urgently.

After years of megaprofits off the back of skyrocketing gas prices – at the public’s expense – it’s time governments corrected our broken energy market.

Keir Starmer’s Labour government has disappointed in failing to immediately tackle eye-watering bills, instead presiding over yet more price rises.

But some policies, like establishing GB Energy in Aberdeen, should bring costs down for Scots over the longer term.

It may now be too late to make a difference this winter – but real action to materially benefit those on low incomes can’t come soon enough.

Help homeless

Shelter leads the way in standing up for people made homeless.

So when the charity says homeless people are being systematically let down and ignored we must take notice.

Shelter has accused council housing chiefs of “punishing” homeless residents taking away hard-won rights and written to the Scottish Government asking them to intervene, saying the homeless are being treated “inhumanely”.

It’s no secret rents across Scotland rocketed and homelessness has become a growing problem. At the same time, nowhere near enough affordable housing has been built to replace the stock lost to Thatcher’s council house sell-off.

People who are homeless are victims of this failure by successive governments at Westminter and Holyrood.

In any decent society, we should be assisting those who are most vulnerable - not blaming them for being in poverty.

Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here.

Story SavedYou can find this story in  My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.