Stuart McMillan MSP, (SNP West of Scotland) and member of the Scottish Parliament’s Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee has welcomed the Scottish Government’s Energy Assistance package.
The package is backed by £60 million of funding and will see efforts to tackle fuel poverty focussed on those that need it most in Inverclyde – expanding the scheme from simply covering pensioners to supporting families with young children.
The package offers help with central heating and insulation, free benefit and tax credit checks to boost incomes and tariff checks to ensure people are paying the correct amounts on their bill.
Mr. McMillan said;
"I am pleased to see the SNP Government is continuing to lead the way in tackling fuel poverty.
"The new Energy Assistance Package delivers the right kind of support to those who need it most and will make sure those facing fuel poverty in Inverclyde have access to the benefits, tariffs and help with the installation of central heating or insulation where it is needed.
"Energy company’s contributions to tackling fuel poverty are welcome but they could go further. Energy prices increased by 40% in the last year but are only now falling by 4%.
"Similarly the UK Government must adopt OFGEM’s recommendation that energy companies should stop penalising customers based on their method of payment.
"Previous schemes missed many of those who struggled to pay their bills and left some, particularly those with young children, in fuel poverty.
"This is real help for people in Inverclyde. Anyone who is struggling to pay their bills, or unable to heat their house should speak to Energy Savings Scotland, to Citizen’s Advice or to their energy company for help and support".
No comments:
Post a Comment