Fuel poverty is putting older people's health at risk

Age Scotland is urging older people to switch energy suppliers as new Scottish Government figures show a rise in those living in fuel poverty.

The latest Scottish House Condition Survey: 2018, released today, shows that one in four Scottish households was living in fuel poverty (619,000), up from 583,000 in 2017.

Older households are more than twice as likely to live in “extreme fuel poverty” than families, with 13 per cent affected compared to six per cent. Previous figures show that more than half of single pensioners live in fuel poverty, and four in ten pensioner couples.

Older people tend to be more affected since they are more likely to live on a fixed income, in a rural community, or have an older, hard-to-heat home. They are also less likely to have a smart meter or use the internet to shop around for a cheaper energy tariff.

Age Scotland warned that thousands of older people are putting their health at risk because they can’t afford to heat their homes adequately. The charity is urging them to find out if they can save money by calling its free Helpline, as well as making sure they are claiming all the benefits and discounts they are entitled to.

Around 10 million customers in the UK are on an expensive "standard variable tariff" for their energy, missing out on nearly £2.2bn of potential savings.

Brian Sloan, Age Scotland’s Chief Executive, said: “It’s extremely disappointing that despite efforts to tackle fuel poverty, the figures are moving in the wrong direction, with old people most affected. “It’s simply unacceptable that tens of thousands of older people in Scotland are spending their later years worrying about energy bills or cutting down on other necessities to pay for heating.

"Many are putting themselves at risk of health problems, such as heart disease, respiratory or circulatory diseases, by not heating their homes adequately.  This leads to increased winter deaths, as well as GP visits and hospital admissions.

“While the Scottish Government’s Fuel Poverty Bill is a step in the right direction, there is a clear need for more action to make fuel poverty a thing of the past. We need to see the Government and suppliers working together to ensure that every older person can afford to live in a warm, comfortable home.

"We're encouraging all older people to see if they can save money by switching energy supplier. They should also check they’re claiming all the benefits they’re entitled to, including Pension Credits and Warm Home discounts, as well as help with home insulation and draft proofing.”

Find out more about saving energy and staying warm and well. People can get free, friendly advice via the Age Scotland Helpline on 0800 12 44 222.