Dave Thompson MSP

Dave Thompson, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, will use Portfolio Questions in the Chamber of the Parliament this week to ask the Scottish Government what its position is on people in the Highlands and Islands having to pay the unfair UK electricity 2p-per-unit transmission surcharge.

Commenting on this Mr Thompson said, “The situation whereby people in the energy rich north are forced to pay more to heat their homes as a result of the UK Ofgem energy regulator not charging all people in the UK the same for transporting electricity across the grid, despite so much electricity coming from the north, is an issue I have long campaigned on. The surcharge is another manifestation of an already unfair situation so I am interested to find out what the Scottish Government’s position is on this and what we can do to pressurise the UK Government to do more”.

Dave will also follow with a Supplementary Question relating to the perennial problem of fuel poverty and its interconnectedness with energy costs. He will ask what effect this surcharge will have on the wider goal of eradicating fuel poverty in the Highlands, until such time as the UK Government deign to give Scotland the powers to correct this injustice.

Dave stated, “Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch have some of the worst pockets of fuel poverty in Scotland and the UK and I want to see this alleviated not added to and this is despite the Scottish Government having already asked the UK Government to legislate for equality in energy pricing throughout the UK”.

Mr Thompson will, if allowed the time, follow up with another Question pertaining to the recent Ofgem report regarding the additional cost in energy prices for people in the Highlands and Islands.

Dave will ask if the Winter Fuel Allowance ought to be increased by inflation and if early payments should be available for pensioners whose homes are not connected to the mains grid, indicating that this would mean there would be less of a burden of higher energy costs on older people.

He said, “Not only do we need a system that is fair but we need one that does not have a disproportionately negative effect on the elderly and the winter fuel allowance increasing at the rate of inflation would go some way to addressing that”.

Note:

Dave’s Questions noted below:

“To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on people in the Highlands and Islands having to pay a 2p-per-unit electricity transmission surcharge”. (S4O-03637)

Supplementary:

“Parts of my own constituency of Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch have some of the worst pockets of fuel poverty in Scotland and the UK.

Given, the scale of the problem identified and its interconnectedness with fuel costs, what is the Scottish Government doing to alleviate the detrimental effect this surcharge will have on the wider goal of eradicating fuel poverty in the Highlands, until such time as the UK Government deign to give Scotland the powers to correct this injustice?

David Stewart’s Question (noted): To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the recent Ofgem report regarding the additional cost in energy prices for people in the Highlands and Islands. (S4O-03645)

Dave’s Follow-up to David Stewart’s Question:

“Does the Minister agree with me that the burden of higher energy costs for older people in rural areas could be reduced if Winter Fuel Allowance was increased by inflation and if early payments were available for pensioners whose homes are not connected to the mains grid?”