Age Scotland welcomes emergency support for vulnerable energy customers

Age Scotland has welcomed new rules to protect vulnerable energy customers, including tens of thousands of older people struggling to pay fuel bills this winter.

The new Ofgem rules mean that suppliers will be required to offer emergency credit to customers who cannot top up their pre-payment meters. They must also offer “realistic and sustainable” repayment plans to those who are in debt.

The rules will become mandatory on 15th December, replacing a voluntary agreement that suppliers entered in March to support people affected by the pandemic. Many face higher than usual bills due to spending more time at home.

Adam Stachura, Age Scotland’s head of policy, said: “This is welcome news for tens of thousands of older people in Scotland who are struggling to pay their fuel bills. Many have found it especially difficult to top up their prepayment cards during the pandemic, if they have been isolating at home and unable to visit their local shop.

“The pandemic has also meant that many older people have been using more household energy than normal as they have been at home much longer this year, not visiting their families or going out to their usual activities as a result of lockdown and shielding. As their bills have gone up they are becoming more unaffordable.

"This will mean no one needs to worry about their energy being cut off if they temporarily run out of credit.

“There’s no doubt this will be a long hard winter for vulnerable older people, and we’d like to see more help for those living in fuel poverty. Our own research shows that before lockdown 20% of older people in Scotland struggled to pay energy bills and overall, three quarters were concerned about being able to do so. It is likely that these figures have since increased which is completely unacceptable.

"Older households are also twice as likely to live in extreme fuel poverty as younger families, according to the Scottish Government's most recent Scottish House Condition Survey.

"Far too many are putting their health at risk by failing to heat their homes adequately. This can put them at increased risk of heart attacks, stroke, flu and other illnesses.

“We would urge every older person to make sure they’re receiving all the benefits they’re entitled to, including Winter Fuel Payments, Cold Weather Payments, and Warm Home discounts from their supplier. Now is also a good time to consider switching supplier, as many are spending hundreds of pounds too much on their energy bills.”

Anyone worried about fuel bills or want help making sure that they are getting the financial assistance that they are entitled to can call the Age Scotland Helpline on 0800 12 44 222.

Note: Figures on households living in fuel poverty are from the Scottish House Condition Survey: 2018