Jamie McGrigor, Highlands & Islands Conservative MSP, yesterday questioned what the Scottish Government was doing to ensure measures to tackle fuel poverty are assisting hard-to-reach groups such as the very elderly who live alone in remote rural areas.
Jamie was speaking at Question Time in the Scottish Parliament.
Climate Change & Environment Minister Paul Wheelhouse said that it was “becoming more of an issue as we come to harder-to-treat properties”, and accepted that it was a “bigger challenge in a rural area such as the Highlands and Islands”.
Jamie’s question followed talks which he held earlier this week at Parliament with representatives of Ofgem, regarding their newly published Social Obligations Report.
Speaking today, Jamie said:
“Some of my constituents in the Highlands & Islands feel more should be being done to make vulnerable people, such as the very elderly living alone, more aware of the energy efficiency programmes that are available and which can help to tackle fuel poverty. I will continue to flag up this concern with Ministers, as it vital that constituents living in the more isolated parts of my region know about and can access what support is available.
“I was interested to discuss with representatives of Ofgem their new Social Obligations Report and measures they are putting in place which they hope will make energy suppliers more responsive to the needs of their most vulnerable customers”.