Question reference: S5W-26394
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 14 November 2019 Registered interest
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Current status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 28 November 2019
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what disparity there is between the domestic energy bills of households that are on and off the gas grid, and what plans it has to address any gap.
Answer
The Scottish Government is concerned that many energy consumers in Scotland continue to struggle to access the full benefit of the energy market, the regulation of which remains, at present, a reserved matter, and therefore the responsibility of UK Ministers under the provisions of the Scotland Act 1998. However, in particular we are aware that, in areas with a higher number of off-gas grid households, energy bills are generally higher. Levels of fuel poverty amongst off-gas grid consumers also tend to be higher and, while we cannot directly intervene in the market, we seek to influence regulatory action and the actions of energy suppliers and use our devolved powers, in areas such as energy efficiency, to address this challenge.
The Scottish Government has recently passed the Fuel Poverty (Targets, Definition and Strategy) (Scotland) Act 2019 setting out ambitious targets to tackle fuel poverty. We already invest significant sums to tackle fuel poverty in Scotland through our Home Energy Efficiency Programmes and will continue to do so. For off-gas consumers who are reliant on electric heating, Home Energy Scotland now provides specialist advice and support to help reduce bills.
For as long as energy markets remain reserved to the UK Government, the Scottish Government’s available actions are limited. Within this context, the Scottish Government will continue to work closely with the UK Government to ensure they deliver a more equitable energy market for Scottish consumers who are in premises that are off the gas grid.