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Climate campaigners have reacted to the latest fuel poverty statistics published today by the Scottish Government showing an increase in cold homes.

Key findings from the research:

  • In 2023 an estimated 34% (around 861,000 households) of all households were in fuel poverty.
  • 19.4% (or 491,000 of the 861,000 households in fuel poverty) were living in extreme fuel poverty
  • 18% of all households found that their heating keeps them warm enough in winter only sometimes and 6% felt it never keeps them warm.

Research published in Feb 2024 by Global Witness found that BP, Shell, Chevron, ExxonMobil and TotalEnergies – have made $281bn (£223bn) profits since the war in Ukraine began in February 2022.

Friends of the Earth Scotland’s oil and gas campaigner Freya Aitchison said:
“These shocking figures represent the scale of the harm caused by an energy system controlled by greedy fossil fuel giants. Cold homes are killing people and ruining lives.

“As fossil fuel companies were extracting tens of billions in profits from the price crisis, tens of thousands more households in Scotland were pushed into fuel poverty.

“SSE wants to burn expensive gas to generate electricity at Peterhead for another 35 years, trapping people in the same rigged system that benefits them and is dictated by volatile gas markets far beyond our control.

“The Scottish Government has been far too slow to deliver the improvements to people’s homes which will improve health, cut bills and cut emissions.

“We need a rapid and fair transition to publicly owned renewable energy, which is already cheaper than fossil fuels, because the longer we are delayed, the more our energy bills skyrocket and the greater danger we are all in.”

NOTES TO EDITORS

Scottish House Condition Survey: 2023 Key Findings https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-house-condition-survey-2023-key-findings/

World’s largest oil companies have made $281bn profit since invasion of Ukraine

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/feb/19/worlds-largest-oil-companies-have-made-281bn-profit-since-invasion-of-ukraine

Friends of the Earth Scotland is:

* Scotland’s leading environmental campaigning organisation

* An independent Scottish charity with a network of thousands of supporters and active local groups across Scotland

* Part of the largest grassroots environmental network in the world, uniting over 2 million supporters, 73 national member groups, and 5,000 local activist groups.