Age Scotland response to Ofgem price cap announcement

Age Scotland's Chief Executive, Mark O'Donnell, said:

“On the surface, it’s welcome news that prices are set to drop from July, but today’s announcement will bring no real relief to older people struggling with unmanageable bills.

“When you consider the current price cap is still over 60% higher than that of two years ago, it’s no wonder so many households have faced increasing challenges in trying to make ends meet.

“For the 4 in 10 older households living in fuel poverty, energy bills will remain unaffordable, especially as there is no financial support currently available to ease the strain.

“While there may be a brief respite during the summer months when people tend to use less energy, we will find ourselves repeating the same vicious cycle again come winter without sufficient preventative action, with hundreds of thousands of older people at further risk of being pushed into poverty.

“The Warmer Homes Scotland scheme is also closed to new applications for 6 months. There is a risk of a massive influx when it reopens in October, likely leading to a backlog and making it difficult for people to plan in advance of the colder weather.

"As the UK Government look at how they reform the energy market, they should develop a social tariff for households on low incomes which would give longer term relief to those who need it most."