Jackie Baillie has welcomed Labour’s urgent plan to freeze the energy price cap this winter which would save families in Scotland £2.6 billion – by making sure they don’t pay a penny more on energy.

Labour’s Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves met with Jackie Baillie last week while in Scotland.

She said that the party’s plan to stop bills rising this winter would save the average household in Scotland £1,000, get energy costs under control for the future and help tackle inflation.

Labour’s fully-funded £29bn plan would prevent the energy price cap rising through the winter, paid for by an extra tax on oil and gas giants who are making eye-watering profits.

The party’s plan also includes all off-grid homes in Scotland, where families have faced serious challenges this year.

And their package cancels out the unfair premium penalty for customers using prepayment meters to pay for their energy. Prepayment customers, often those on the lowest incomes, will get an additional £300 compared to Direct Debit customers as part of Labour’s plan.

It means that households in West Dunbartonshire will receive £45m and, in neighbouring Argyll and Bute Council, households will get £42m.

The Dumbarton constituency MSP agreed with the Shadow Chancellor that Scotland was being failed by “two absent governments”, calling on the SNP government to use the powers they have to help people alongside action from the UK government.

Jackie Baillie said: “Families in West Dunbartonshire, Helensburgh and Lomond have been in contact with my office scared about how they will manage this winter with bills set to increase rapidly.

“These fears are rising while Scotland is being failed by two absent governments. The Tories are missing in action and the SNP are failing to take any decisive action within the powers they already have.

“Labour’s plan to save households in Scotland £1,000 this winter is a direct response to this national emergency and also includes investment in sustainable British energy to bring bills down in the long-term.

“Labour’s fully-funded plan would fix the problems immediately and invest to secure energy for the future – helping people here to pay their bills this winter while providing the foundations for a stronger, more secure economy.”