Responding to new figures from Shetland Islands Council suggesting that because of rising energy prices, fuel poverty in Shetland could hit 96% and that islanders must earn a salary of £104,000 to avoid fuel poverty, Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP for Shetland Beatrice Wishart said:
“My constituents already struggle with fuel poverty more than almost anywhere in the UK. These figures show the scale of the vast challenge ahead.
“One long-established business is saying that when they enter calculations for increasing energy costs in coming months they turn into a “substantially loss-making entity”.
“You shouldn’t have to be a millionaire to stay warm this winter.
“The Conservatives and the SNP have been caught like deer in the headlights.
“They must act now to spare families from soaring energy bills by cancelling October’s price cap increase.
“Liberal Democrats have set out plans to block the energy price rise before it happens but we cannot wait weeks for a new Conservative Prime Minister to act.
“The Government must step in now to help families and pensioners in the isles and beyond by cancelling the planned rise in energy bills.
“Nicola Sturgeon must get her act together too.
“She needs to put every penny of the Scottish Government’s budget helping hard hit households and kickstart an emergency insulation programme to bring down bills.”
