Fuel poverty is now a growing social crisis in Scotland. According to the latest figures from the Scottish Government’s Tackling Fuel Poverty in Scotland report, the number of families unable to afford to properly heat their home is rising, with more than a third of families in fuel poverty in 2023. This is a slight increase since 2021, when 31% of families were estimated to be in fuel poverty, and a significant increase since 2019, when a quarter of families were estimated to be in fuel poverty.

The consequences of this are and – without action will continue to be – severe. We know that fuel poverty does not only impact public health, but also life chances, with children who grow up in colder homes more likely to struggle at school. We also know that fuel poverty disproportionately affects families in rural Scotland where the quality of........

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