McArthur: 920,000 households estimated to be fuel poor

Scottish Liberal Democrat climate emergency spokesperson Liam McArthur MSP has today called on the Scottish Government to move further and faster to tackle fuel poverty and improve energy efficiency in households after new government modelling estimated that 920,000 households will be fuel poor from April 2023.  

The Scottish House Conditions Survey found that:  

• From April 2023, there will be 920,000 fuel poor households, which represents 37% of all households.  
• Of those households, 720,000 (29% of all households) will be in extreme fuel poverty.  
• 48% of households were rated below EPC C. The government has committed to bringing every home to at least EPC C by 2033.  
• The average energy efficiency rating for properties off the mains gas grid was EPC E, compared to a C rating for properties on the mains grid.  
• 72% of rural homes have an EPC rating below C (12% in the lowest ratings of F and G)  
• Around 88% of households use a gas-fuelled or oil-fuelled boiler, but only 66% of gas and oil boilers meet the minimum efficiencies specified by the current Building Standards.  

Mr McArthur said:  

“These figures show that a staggering number of people are estimated to be fuel poor, while energy efficiency is particularly low in rural areas.

"Insulation and other energy efficiency measures are vital to bringing down bills and tackling the climate emergency, but ministers are content to work at snail’s pace.  

“The half-hearted environmentalism of the SNP and Greens just won’t cut it. They are too busy dumping sewage into rivers or missing climate change targets to offer credible solutions.  

“Scottish Liberal Democrats are calling for a national emergency insulation programme all across the country, with a particular focus on those homes which are hardest to heat. This will accelerate progress towards creating properties that are both financially and environmentally sustainable."