Every time the energy price cap rises households across the UK are reminded that as long as fossil fuels remain the primary way to heat homes, many remain vulnerable to volatility in the energy market.
The recent energy price cap announcement, including an 8.7% price rise in gas, is another blow for the thousands of households already facing record levels of energy debt. In Scotland, 29% of households are in fuel poverty, and as winter approaches many are once again worrying about whether they can afford to keep their homes and families warm.
However, there is also reason for hope that fuel poverty and cold, draughty homes will start to be tackled in earnest. The Scottish Government’s commitment in last week’s Programme for Government to bring forward a new Buildings (Heating and Energy Performance) and Heat Networks (Scotland) Bill offers an opportunity to tackle one of the root causes of high energy bills.
Scottish homes are among the least energy efficient in Europe. Too many lose heat quickly, cost too much to keep warm and remain heavily tied to increasing energy prices that are beyond their control.
Energy price caps have continued to rise in recent years and each time they do, it reinforces the same lesson: we cannot continue to rely on a system that leaves people exposed to repeated price shocks.
While reforms to the energy market and targeted support for households remain vitally important, they can only go so far. The most effective and lasting way to reduce energy bills is to reduce the amount of energy our homes need in the first place.
Improving insulation, investing in energy efficiency and supporting the transition to clean heating can help people stay warmer while reducing the cost of heating their homes. It can also reduce the UK’s dependence on fossil fuels, strengthen energy security and support progress towards our climate goals.
That is why the new Bill matters
The legislation has the potential to provide a clear framework for improving homes across Scotland, helping to cut emissions while tackling fuel poverty and reducing exposure to future increases in energy costs. Done properly, it should help create homes that are warmer, healthier and more affordable to run. But after years of delays, there must now be a renewed sense of urgency.
Scotland, and the rest of the UK, cannot afford to wait any longer while hundreds of thousands of households continue to struggle with unaffordable energy costs. The commitment to bring forward the Bill is welcome, but ambition must now be matched with action.
Crucially, the Bill must be supported by the investment needed to make its ambitions a reality. That means increased funding for retrofit programmes, long term certainty for local authorities and housing providers, and continued investment in trusted energy advice services that help households understand their options and access support.
It also means ensuring the transition is fair. The move to low carbon heating and more energy efficient homes cannot become something that only benefits those who can afford to invest themselves. A just transition means ensuring that households experiencing fuel poverty are among the first to benefit from warmer homes, lower bills and better access to support. That’s why we’re calling for reform of the energy price cap and a targeted social tariff for those most at risk.
The choice facing Scotland is clear
We can continue to leave households exposed to rising energy costs, or we can invest in warmer, more energy efficient homes that are cheaper to run, improve people’s health and are more resilient for the future.
Now is the time to move from ambition to action. At Changeworks, we know the solutions exist because we are already delivering them. In the last year alone we’ve provided energy advice to more than 61,000 households, supported over 12,000 households to install energy efficiency measures and helped thousands of people experiencing fuel poverty.
We stand ready to work with partners to help deliver a just transition, ensuring that warmer homes, lower bills and cleaner heating are within reach of every household. The case for action has never been clearer. The time to act is now.