Scotland’s Energy Minister has warned that plans to give households living near new electricity transmission infrastructure £250 a year off their energy bills do not go far enough.
Stephen Gethins welcomed the principle of providing discounts to affected households but said more needs to be done to ensure communities receive a fair return for living alongside major energy infrastructure.
Under the UK Government scheme referenced by the Minister, eligible households would receive £250 a year for ten years.
That would amount to £2,500 over the full period, but the Scottish Government believes the level of support fails to adequately recognise the impact of new and upgraded transmission infrastructure on communities.
Mr Gethins also wants payments to begin before full construction gets underway.
He argues that preliminary work can already have an impact on nearby households and should therefore be recognised within the scheme.
The debate is particularly relevant across the Highlands and Islands, where major investment in electricity transmission infrastructure is taking place as the energy network is expanded and upgraded.
Mr Gethins said:
“While any bill discounts for people living close to transmission infrastructure are a welcome step, there is more that must be done to reduce bills and ensure fairness for communities, and I note the concerns and disappointment expressed by local people about this announcement today.
“We have raised concerns with the UK Government that £250 per year for 10 years does not fully address the impacts of new and upgraded transmission infrastructure.
“Households should also be eligible for payments ahead of full construction works beginning, to recognise the impact of preliminary work.
‘It is vital that the Scottish Government has a role in the design of this scheme and its implementation in Scotland.
“The UK Government pledged to cut bills by £300, yet now they are almost £300 higher. Our proposals for a social tariff in the form of targeted bill discounts have cross-sector support, and show that 660,000 households in Scotland would see their estimated fuel bills go down by an average of £700.”
The Scottish Government is therefore making two separate arguments over energy costs.
The first is that communities hosting new transmission infrastructure should receive greater recognition for the impact of developments taking place around them.
The second is that wider action is required to reduce household energy costs, particularly for people struggling with fuel bills.
For communities across the Highlands and Islands being asked to accommodate substantial new electricity infrastructure, the argument over £250 a year is likely to be about more than the number on an energy bill.
It raises the wider question of what communities should reasonably receive in return when nationally important infrastructure is built on their doorstep.
