New figures reveal almost 1 million households or 2 million individuals are living in fuel poverty. This is an increase of almost 300,000 on the previous year.

The latest figures also highlight that Housing Minister Margaret Burgess MSP has changed the methodology to mask the scale of the increase, a change confirmed in a letter to Michael McMahon MSP, Convener of the Welfare Reform Committee

Jackie Baillie MSP said, “As winter bites the revelation that 2 million people are living in fuel poverty will shock the country. An increase on the previous year of almost 300,000 household is scandalous. Yet we know, by the Scottish Government’s own admission, that they underspent their own budget.”

“Nicola Sturgeon and her Government have abandoned poor people in Scotland. Independent experts are demanding the Government takes action now to tackle this situation.”

“Nicola Sturgeon would also do well to back Labour’s plan for an energy price freeze while we reform the energy market rather than her own plan of giving a massive tax cut to the big energy companies