I am calling for a Warm Homes Act across Mid Scotland and Fife as figures show that nearly 1 million households in Scotland live in fuel poverty.
Latest fuel poverty figures released this week (15th December) highlights that the number of households fuel poor or living in extreme fuel poverty has remained similar to the previous year.
According to figures released by the Scottish Government and Scotland’s Chief Statistician, 34.9%, around 845,000 households, live in what is classified as fuel poor housing. A further 9.5% live in extreme fuel poverty.
Fuel poor households are more likely to report difficulties staying warm in the winter. 21% say that their heating keeps them warm in winter only “sometimes” whilst 9% say “never”. Fuel prices have increased by 3.5% in the last year.
In response I have called for an overhaul of Scotland’s planning, building and housing regulations to enable critical improvements to housing stock thus tackling fuel poverty through a Warm Homes Act.
The Act would also lay the framework to deliver affordable energy efficiency, reducing energy consumption and cutting carbon emissions.
Focused on improving standards and removing barriers to innovation, the act will support householders, cooperatives and communities to deploy new technologies, including those required for district and renewable heating networks.
When it comes to tackling fuel poverty, movement is going in the right direction but the pace of change is far too slow. With over a third of the country living in fuel poverty the time to act is now.
More than half of Scotland’s low income families are struggling to heat their own home despite being in work. This includes households across the Mid Scotland and Fife region, many of which are in rural areas where fuel poverty is prevalent.
That is why I am calling for action and a Warm Homes Act that would overhaul regulations and ensure families throughout the region are able to afford to heat their own home.
Too many families are living in leaky, draughty, homes and all too often this can lead to underlying health issues. That is why action is needed now.
A Warm Homes Act would reduce fuel poverty, stop thousands of unnecessary death, particularly at winter, save energy and create thousands of jobs. That is why I am backing the act for Mid Scotland and Fife.