Action on fuel poverty

SNP Energy spokesperson Mike Weir MP and the SNP candidate in the Glasgow East by-election, Cllr John Mason, are demanding answers over the number of customers disconnected by energy providers, after Ofgem failed to publish up-to-date figures for the final quarter of 2007, and industry watchdog Energywatch warned the number could top 9,000 (a 225% increase from the last quarter of 2005).

Last week a parliamentary question by Mr Weir revealed that the number of customers disconnected by their energy provider, because they had fallen behind with payments, has already soared by 146% by the third quarter of 2007.

This week, Mr Weir received an alert from industry watchdog, Energywatch, warning: "You will have noticed that the figures for Q4 of 2007 are not yet available even though suppliers should have made them available to Ofgem for publication. We have chased the publication of these figures with no success. We are very concerned that disconnections for 2007 will top 9,000 and that we're seeing the number of disconnections increase year on year since 2005 – a deeply worrying trend just as energywatch is being abolished."

SNP candidate for the Glasgow East by-election, John Mason, said:

"How can we begin to help vulnerable households if the energy regulator has not even gathered up-to-date information on debt and disconnections.

"With soaring domestic energy prices, vulnerable customers face a growing crisis.

"The majority of people who have their power supply cut off will than have to pay a reconnection charge, and this begs the question, if they cannot afford to pay their bill in the first place, how can they afford to pay an additional fee?

"As Glasgow East's MP I would pressurise the Westminster Government to assess the impact that this huge number of disconnections will have on fuel poverty in Scotland.

"They must seek urgent meetings with the energy providers to try and stop this problem getting any worse. Only then we can find the best way forward for heating provision for all in Scotland."

Mr Weir said:

"This is a completely unacceptable state of affairs, and Ofgem must explain why these figures are unavailable.

"The available figures are bad enough, showing the number of customers cut off has soared by 146%, but it seems that the situation may be even worse than that, with Energywatch warning that the number of households could top 9,000.

"What is especially troubling is that this does not even take account of the massive hike in energy prices earlier this year, or indeed the anticipated increases expected this autumn.

"Disconnections on this scale should have alarm bells ringing, yet the UK Government's response has been wholly inadequate. Indeed, Energywatch point out that the number of disconnections has been increasing year on year since 2005.

"People are struggling to understand why, at a time when the Treasury is receiving record windfalls from Scotland's North Sea Oil, and energy companies are recording record profits, vulnerable customers are being left behind.

"With fuel poverty amid energy plenty the energy market is failing the most vulnerable, and there is an overwhelming case for an investigation into how the energy market is operating.

"Voters in Glasgow East have the opportunity to send a message to the UK Government about soaring energy costs so that they take action to address this issue."

Notes:

Details of Mr Weir's parliamentary question are available here.