Argyll and Bute Council’s leader has called for action after a report stated that 70% of local households were at risk of fuel poverty.
Robin Currie was reacting to a briefing note on the cost of living crisis which was presented to councillors.
The document called on the Scottish and UK Governments to take action on the crisis, including urgently providing information on funding for people who do not get their energy through typical means.
Cllr Currie told the council’s full meeting yesterday: “This is a huge problem that has to be addressed. I am looking at one of the facts that to avoid fuel poverty, people need to be on an income of £72,000 or more.
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“Apart from two or three people in this building (the council’s Kilmory headquarters) I do not know anybody who earns more than that.
“We are talking about the majority of our residents in Argyll and Bute being in fuel poverty – that is the stark reality and it is unthinkable.
“We have brought it up at lots of meetings in the past few weeks and months, but we need action.”
Conservative Cllr Yvonne McNeilly then said: “There is a horrendous crisis going on, and to think that people in urban areas are not suffering either would be quite wrong.
“I am slightly confused about where we are on this. We have a briefing note with very specific recommendations about what the key issues are.
“We should go to the governments and I have no issues with lobbying whatsoever. But I need a bit more clarity about what the next steps would be.”
Council chief executive Pippa Milne said: “We have a range of options on how we might want to make that point. There is a role for our own members to go forward, having agreed with the council what we may want to do in relation to this.”
Cllr McNeilly then said: “There are three strands to this. We put it to COSLA (Convention of Scottish Local Authorities) stating the situation, we put it to the First Minister, and we put it to Alister Jack as Scottish Secretary.”
Cllr Currie added: “We are doing that and much more. I took it up at the economic partnership, which is a group in the Highlands and Islands area, and Highlands and Islands Enterprise are doing a paper for the business side of things.
“I have also had a meeting with OFGEM. They are now engaging and listening to what is being said.”
Quite agree. Domestic space heating by LPG has been left out in the cold by our politicians.