Scotland Needs a Social Tariff to Cut Soaring Energy Bills

Families across East Falkirk and Linlithgow are being squeezed by spiralling energy costs – and it’s time Westminster acted.

The SNP has developed a Social Tariff plan to bring much-needed relief to those struggling with unaffordable bills. Working with energy suppliers, consumer groups, and organisations representing disabled people and those in fuel poverty, the proposal would cut bills by an average of £700 a year for around 660,000 households across Scotland.

This targeted measure would mean that the people who need help most – the elderly, low-income families, and those with disabilities – finally get meaningful support. According to new Scottish Government modelling, with an annual investment of £475 million, this plan could lift more than 200,000 households out of extreme fuel poverty.

But there’s a catch: the power to act sits with Westminster.

When Labour took office, they promised to cut energy bills by £300. Instead, bills have gone up by nearly £200. That’s yet another broken promise – and another example of families in Scotland paying the price for decisions made in London.

Scotland is an energy-rich nation, yet too many of our people are being left to choose between heating and eating. That’s not just wrong – it’s indefensible.

The SNP Government has done the groundwork. The Social Tariff proposal is ready to go and could make a real difference right now. But we need Westminster to deliver the powers and funding to make it happen.

“Labour must decide whose side they’re on! Will they back the SNP’s call for a Social Tariff to protect households here in Linlithgow and East Falkirk – or will they continue to leave local families out in the cold?” Martyn Day. SNP Candidate

It’s clearer than ever that only the SNP will put Scotland’s interests first, and that Scotland needs the fresh start of independence to build a fairer energy system that works for everyone.