RICHARD LOCHHEAD: People need help now with household bills
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The nights will soon be drawing in and the colder weather will be upon us.
With energy costs spiralling out of control households and businesses are left with no idea where they will find the extra cash they’ll need to pay for their energy bills this winter.
We’ve seen dire warnings in the last week or so that come spring, energy costs could be as high as £5000.
Such predictions are terrifying beyond words for most households and many local businesses will be worried about survival.
The SNP has been absolutely clear – bills cannot continue to rise, and we need the UK Government to step in to prevent any further price hikes.
I know from speaking to people in Moray that far too many people can’t afford their bills now. Any further increases will be devastating.
Scottish Government estimates suggest that 30 per cent - over 700,000 people – in Scotland could be living in extreme fuel poverty come October when bills are once again hiked up.
In Moray that percentage will be much higher. Even before the cost of energy rocketed, 32 per cent of households in Moray were fuel poor.
And whilst households in Moray and across the country are left watching every penny, with many having to choose between heating and eating, the Conservative UK Government is missing in action.
Frankly, it’s a complete disgrace that here in Moray – a region that produces more energy than we use – we have households who cannot afford to heat their homes.
Many can see energy being produced out their windows, or have pylons passing their gardens transmitting energy to Blackhillock Substation in Keith – the second biggest substation in Europe.
Moray is a hub for energy production, with Scotland being an energy exporter to the rest of the UK, and households and businesses here should feel the benefit. But instead, because of the dysfunctional way in which the UK energy market is set up, Scotland faces the highest charges in the UK to buy electricity.
The UK Government – which is responsible for regulation of the energy market – has repeatedly failed to take the bold and decisive action required to address the lack of fairness in the system and to help drive down costs for consumers in rural Scotland.
As the First Minister has said, the crisis facing households and businesses in Scotland and across the UK is of a similar scale to the pandemic.
Many of the necessary powers and resources to tackle this crisis lie with the UK Government.
Without substantial and urgent action, this emergency will cause deprivation and huge suffering.
To put it bluntly, without a serious response from the UK Government, businesses will close, and lives will be lost.
The Scottish Government has committed to doing everything within its resources and powers to help those most affected, with plans for an emergency budget to set out how Scottish Ministers might be able to reduce the burden on households and businesses, and to stimulate the economy.
People in Moray desperately need the UK Government to come out of hiding and act with the same level of urgency. They literally cannot afford to wait any longer.
