Attendees
- Lewis Shand Smith, ECN (Chair)
- Christopher Jones, Consumer Scotland (Secretariat)
- Adam Stachura, Age Scotland
- Laura Campbell, Local Energy Scotland
- Douglas White, Consumer Scotland
- Lyndsey Croal, Smart Energy GB
- Phelim Usher-Purves, Energy Savings Trust
- Ian Cochran, Changeworks
- Pamela Stewart, Advice Direct Scotland
- Stephanie Mander, Citizens Advice Scotland
- David Pilling, Trust Alliance Group/Energy Ombudsman
- Jenni Marchant, Community Energy Scotland
- Zoe Holliday, Community Energy Scotland
- Cassandra Dove, Scottish Federation of Housing Associations
Apologies
- Frazer Scott, Energy Action Scotland
- Sam Ghibaldan, Consumer Scotland
- Barry Coughlan, Consumer Scotland
- Chris Morris, Local Energy Scotland
- Morven Masterton, Changeworks
- Liz Partington, Changeworks
- Molly Shevlin, Citizens Advice Scotland
- Claire Brown, Foundation Scotland
- Suzanne McWilliams, The Wise Group
- Jessica Chan, The Wise Group
- Pauline Smith, DTA Scotland
- Craig Wilson, Trust Alliance Group/Energy Ombudsman
- Matt Cole, Fuel Bank Foundation / Scottish Fuel Poverty Advisory Panel
Agenda
|
Agenda Item |
Timing |
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1. Start and Chair’s Update |
09:30 – 09:45 |
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2. Member Roundtable Discussion on Priorities for the New Scottish Government |
09:45 - 10:45 |
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3. Break |
10:45 – 11:00 |
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4. Member Roundtable Discussion on Energy Debt in the Domestic Retail Market |
11:00 – 12:15 |
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5. AOB and Close |
12:15 - 12:30 |
1. Chair’s Update
Actions From Last Meeting
ECN members raised concerns with Ofgem about debt standards messaging about the type of advisers that consumers should be sent to for energy advice. ECN arranged a meeting with Ofgem and members to discuss matters and share feedback.
Scottish Energy Advisory Board (SEAB) Update
We have been liaising with the SEAB team at Scottish Government to understand what their priorities are for the new administration and what their next actions / meetings may be. SEAB secretariat is still planning and organising what this may look like under the new administration and ECN secretariat will continue to engage and share any updates.
2. Priorities for the New Scottish Government
Members discussed their priorities for engagement with the new Scottish Government and highlighted several common themes across the consumer, advice, community energy and housing sectors.
Fuel Poverty and Affordability
Members emphasised the need for reducing fuel poverty to remain a central government priority, particularly for older people, those living on low incomes and households in rural and remote communities.
Discussion focused on:
- The effectiveness of existing fuel poverty interventions and heating support schemes.
- Whether support is being sufficiently targeted towards households experiencing the greatest need.
- The importance of using data more effectively to identify vulnerable consumers, including those who may be digitally excluded.
- The need to better understand the outcomes of public spending on energy efficiency and whether it is delivering meaningful reductions in fuel poverty.
Several members also highlighted concerns around affordability pressures heading into winter and the need for proactive measures to prevent consumers reaching crisis point.
Advice Services and Consumer Support
Members highlighted the critical role of independent advice services in supporting consumers through the energy transition and wider cost-of-living challenges.
There was strong support for:
- More sustainable and longer-term funding arrangements for the advice sector.
- Improved coordination between fuel poverty, energy advice and wider debt support services.
- Ensuring advice provision remains accessible to consumers using alternative fuels and heat networks.
- Strengthening support for vulnerable consumers experiencing multiple forms of financial hardship.
Members also noted increasing evidence of links between energy debt and wider debt problems, housing insecurity and financial vulnerability.
Heat in Buildings and the Energy Transition
Consumer organisations highlighted the importance of ensuring consumer interests remain central to delivery of Scotland's heat decarbonisation and energy efficiency programmes.
Discussion focused on:
- The future direction of Heat in Buildings policy.
- Improving the consumer journey through energy efficiency and low-carbon heat schemes.
- The need for stable, multi-year funding arrangements to support delivery.
- Ensuring homes achieve appropriate energy efficiency standards before transitioning to low-carbon heating technologies.
- Future consumer protections associated with the rollout of low-carbon heating systems.
Members also noted ongoing engagement with wider policy development relating to energy efficiency standards and building decarbonisation.
Community Energy
Representatives from the community energy sector welcomed continued policy commitments to local energy generation and discussed opportunities to increase community benefit from renewable energy developments.
Members highlighted:
- The importance of ensuring local energy projects deliver tangible benefits for local communities.
- Interest in the development of future investment and wealth-sharing mechanisms linked to renewable energy deployment.
- Continuing barriers facing community organisations seeking to sell energy locally or to public-sector organisations.
- The need to address procurement and regulatory challenges that can limit local energy supply opportunities.
Consumer Protections
Members discussed the importance of maintaining strong consumer safeguards as energy markets and heating systems evolve.
Areas of interest included:
- Consumer protection arrangements associated with future heat and energy programmes.
- Support for consumers in vulnerable circumstances.
- Protections for disabled consumers and those with serious medical conditions.
- Ongoing development of dispute resolution and redress arrangements within the energy sector.
Emerging Research and Policy Development
Members highlighted a number of forthcoming research projects and policy publications relating to fuel poverty, housing, consumer vulnerability and access to energy. The Network agreed these would provide useful evidence to support future discussions and engagement with government.
3. Members' Views on Growing Energy Debt
Members received a presentation on the current energy debt landscape and discussed the implications for consumers across Scotland.
It was noted that energy debt remains at unprecedented levels across Great Britain and continues to present significant affordability challenges for many households. Members heard that growing debt levels appear to be driven primarily by consumers already in debt falling further into arrears, rather than a substantial increase in the overall number of indebted households.
The discussion highlighted concerns that debt-related costs are ultimately recovered through consumer bills and are not distributed evenly across different payment methods.
Consumer Experiences of Debt
Advice organisations reported continuing increases in the level of debt being presented by consumers seeking support.
Members noted that energy debt frequently forms part of wider financial difficulties and is often linked to broader affordability challenges. Advice providers emphasised the importance of early engagement and accessible support services to help consumers address arrears before they escalate.
Particular concern was expressed regarding consumers who are moving home, with members noting this can be a key point at which debt issues become more complex and consumers may disengage from creditors and support services.
Vulnerable Consumers
Members highlighted concerns about the impact of growing energy debt on vulnerable households, including older people, consumers on low incomes and those living in rural and remote areas.
It was noted that rural consumers often face higher energy costs and are disproportionately affected by fuel poverty, creating additional challenges when managing energy debt.
Members also discussed affordability pressures facing people approaching retirement age, with some organisations reporting increasing demand for support from consumers in their 50s as well as those of pension age.
Long-Term Solutions
Members agreed that addressing energy debt requires a combination of immediate consumer support and longer-term action to improve household energy affordability.
Members considered the role of batteries and solar PV to bring down the effective cost of energy as part of the solution. However, Consumer organisations highlighted the role of energy efficiency improvements in reducing ongoing energy costs and stressed the importance of ensuring homes are sufficiently efficient before transitioning to electric heating and other LCT technologies.
Members agreed that tackling fuel poverty, improving housing performance and supporting consumers through the energy transition would all contribute to reducing future debt risks.
4. AOB
Update on the revised Terms of Reference - Secretariat thanked members for engagement and would share revised TOR by the end of month.
Renewed Chair – Chair confirmed that his position had been renewed for a new year.
Citizens Advice Scotland Big Energy Savings Network – Secretariat shared details from CAS about BESN pot that is now open and may be of interest to members and their networks, providing funding for organisations to deliver energy related advice and training.
5. Action Points
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ACTION |
Responsibility |
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Engage with DG Andy Kerr about meeting with ECN following interest from last SEAB |
Secretariat |
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See whether possible to affordability survey data on pension age and 50s |
Secretariat |