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Highland fuel poverty sparks council appeal to UK Government for fairer system


By Hector MacKenzie

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Highland Council is calling on the UK Government to help resolve the inequity of fuel poverty experienced in the region where people pay more for fuel and energy than other parts of the country.

Leader Margaret Davidson has written to minister for business, energy and clean growth Kwasi Kwarteng MP calling on the government to replace the current electricity distribution system with one that replicates that of gas and telecoms and shares the cost of energy distribution equally across the UK.

At the latest meeting of Highland Council, members provided unanimous cross-party support for a motion.

It states: “This council recognises from its own poverty and inequality data that large areas of the Highlands have over 70 per cent, and based on data provided by the CAB, up to 90 per cent of households in fuel poverty, and commits to doing all in its power to resolve the inequity that has arisen due to the regional distribution charges for electricity provision.

“To that end this Council will write to the Minister of State (Minister for Business, Energy and Clean Growth) the Rt Hon Kwasi Kwarteng MP in support of the cross-party Early Day Motion EDM #552 that; calls on the Government to replace the current electricity distribution system with one that replicates that of gas and telecoms and share the cost of energy distribution equally across the UK.”

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