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Chamber and committees

Increasing Energy Prices

  • Submitted by: Alex Rowley, Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour.
  • Date lodged: Friday, 07 January 2022
  • Motion reference: S6M-02714

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.


Supported by: Karen Adam, Jackie Baillie, Neil Bibby, Siobhian Brown, Foysol Choudhury, Katy Clark, Bob Doris, Pam Duncan-Glancy, Kenneth Gibson, Rhoda Grant, Bill Kidd, Monica Lennon, Richard Leonard, Fulton MacGregor, Ruth Maguire, Audrey Nicoll, Mark Ruskell, Anas Sarwar, Paul Sweeney, Michelle Thomson, David Torrance, Mercedes Villalba, Martin Whitfield