Question reference: S6W-25396
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
- Date lodged: 9 February 2024
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Current status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 27 February 2024
Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much has been allocated to tackling fuel poverty in the (a) Scottish Budget for (i) 2020-21, (ii) 2021-22, (iii) 2022-23 and (iv) 2023-24 and (b) draft Budget for 2024-25.
Answer
We have committed to a £1.8 billion investment over the course of this parliamentary term to make our homes warmer, greener and more efficient. This includes an allocation of £350m to heat, energy efficiency and fuel poverty measures in 2023-24, including £119m targeted at fuel poor households. This is delivered through two long-standing energy efficiency programmes – the Area Based Schemes and Warmer Homes Scotland - that have already supported over 150,000 households in or at risk of fuel poverty.
In addition, since the winter of 2020 the Scottish Government has allocated funding for the Fuel Insecurity Fund which has been providing support to households who were at risk of self-disconnection or self-rationing their energy use. Further funding has been allocated for wider fuel poverty action. Among other things, this budget line has supported the costs of the previous non-statutory Fuel Poverty Advisory Panel and our current statutory, Scottish Fuel Poverty Advisory Panel.
The following table sets out the allocations towards tackling fuel poverty across the consecutive years from 2020-21 to the draft Budget for 2024-25:
Allocations | 2020-21 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 | 2024-25 (draft) |
Energy Efficiency Delivery Programmes: Area Based Schemes & Warmer Homes Scotland | 87m | 114m | 119m | 119m | 119m |
Fuel Insecurity Fund | 7m | 10m | 20m | 30m | 0 |
Wider Fuel Poverty action | - | - | 250k
| 320k
| 320k
|