Scottish households are facing another increase to their energy bills after Ofgem confirmed a rise in network charges across the UK, prompting fresh demands from the SNP for the Labour Government to abandon plans that could add £108 to bills in Scotland.
The announcement lands at a time when many families are already dealing with spiralling living costs and uncertainty over future energy pricing, despite Scotland producing far more renewable and conventional energy than it consumes.
The SNP Westminster Leader Stephen Flynn MP said the latest increase highlights a pattern of broken promises and warns that Scotland is being asked to pay ever more for a resource it generates in abundance.
“Keir Starmer must scrap Labour Party plans to charge Scottish families an extra £108 on their energy bills, in the latest energy bill betrayal by the Labour government.
“It is shameful that the Labour Party has already increased bills by £487 more than promised, with further rises expected in the coming months.
“Scotland is an energy-rich country but Keir Starmer is forcing Scottish families to pay through the nose for a resource we have in abundance, while destroying thousands of jobs in Scotland’s energy industry like a modern day Thatcher.
“It’s Scotland’s energy and it shows why Scotland needs a fresh start with independence so families can properly benefit from Scotland’s vast energy wealth.”
The rise in network charges has fuelled wider concerns about how the UK’s energy system is financed, with debate growing over the fairness of applying flat increases across regions with very different production and consumption patterns.
On the increased network charges, the SNP Westminster Leader added:
“The Labour government must find other ways to fund the increased network charges itself, rather than increasing energy bills for Scottish families yet again.
“The SNP has already set out various proposals to reduce bills, including a levy on the banks as set out by the IPPR.”
The calls come shortly after First Minister John Swinney launched the “It’s Scotland’s Energy” campaign ahead of the 2026 Scottish Parliament elections, arguing that an independent Scotland could reduce household energy bills by more than a third.
With concerns over jobs, rising costs, and the impact of UK policies on Scotland’s energy sector, the debate over how the country harnesses and pays for its energy looks set to intensify through the winter and into the election year.
