Carmichael to lead Westminster debate on fuel poverty
Orkney and Shetland MP Alistair Carmichael will lead a debate on fuel poverty on Wednesday afternoon in the House of Commons.
The debate will take place in Westminster Hall from 2.30pm.
The most recent Scottish Housing Conditions Survey published in February 2024, found that 791,000 households were estimated to be in fuel poverty in 2022, compared to an estimated 613,000 households in 2019, a rise of 23%. Levels of extreme fuel poverty also increased, from 311,000 households in 2019 to 472,000 in 2022. Fuel poverty levels in the Northern Isles currently stand at 31%, ahead of a Scottish average of 24%.
Mr Carmichael has campaigned for a “geographic tariff” to support areas with higher energy consumption due to geography, such as the Northern Isles, and for stronger community benefit for energy developments.
Speaking ahead of the debate, Mr Carmichael said:
“A staggering number of households are being pushed into fuel poverty. This means more misery for more families and individuals in communities across Scotland.
“There has also been a failure to recognise the specific rural and island dimension to fuel poverty, reflecting the higher costs faced by those living in these communities. In Orkney and Shetland we have longer, darker and colder winters and as a result, some of the highest rates of fuel poverty in the country.
“Too often the response from ministers has been to blame others while lacking the necessary urgency themselves.
“That is not good enough. Scottish Liberal Democrats will continue to press ministers in both our governments to roll out a new nationwide insulation programme to meet the scale of the challenge, providing a win-win of cutting emissions and household energy bills.
“I also want to see progress on a geographic tariff to support areas with higher energy consumption due to geography, such as the Northern Isles – and on stronger rules on community benefit so that areas generating energy for the country see some advantage from it.”