SNP MSP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Alasdair Allan, has welcomed the new First Minister’s pledge to triple support for households struggling with energy costs.

In one of his first acts as First Minister, he has announced that next year’s Fuel Insecurity Fund will be increased from £10 million to £30 million. The funding will be made available to third sector organisations in the next financial year to enable them to support Scotland’s most vulnerable households.

The islands’ MSP said:

“The Western Isles experience the worst levels of fuel poverty anywhere in the country, due to a combination of poor housing insulation, weather, and unfair transmission charges which makes energy bills here so expensive in comparison to, say, the south of England. It is not right that the UK Government are ceasing their Energy Bills Support Scheme from next month when prices for households and businesses are still astronomical.

“I welcome the First Minister’s first policy announcement which demonstrates his commitment to tackling fuel poverty and the cost-of-living crisis, something which is continues to be felt acutely here in the Western Isles and across the whole of Scotland.”

First Minister Humza Yousaf commented:

“In a country as energy rich as Scotland, we should not have people living in fuel poverty. My government will renew and redouble our efforts to lift people out of poverty, to make work fair, to make our economy work for the people.

“With energy bills still at historically high levels and the UK Government’s Energy Bills Support Scheme being withdrawn from 1 April, over the next year our Fuel Insecurity Fund will continue to be a vital lifeline for many struggling households in the country.”