Sam Ghibaldan
21st October 2026
Introduction
In common with the welcome I’ve always experienced in Belfast, I’d like to say a warm hello to you this afternoon.
It is a genuine privilege to be speaking in the home of the Northern Ireland Assembly.
At Consumer Scotland we greatly value our relationship with the Consumer Council, and I’d like to thank them for inviting me today.
Consumer advocacy and advice matter
We have a lot in common.
The odds are stacked against our consumers.
Every day people make purchases – food, transport, energy, telecoms, clothing to name just a few – and have to make decisions affected by prices, quality, reliability and customer service.
Rules and processes for solving consumer problems vary hugely between sectors, and can be difficult to grapple with.
People might get frustrated at having to deal with bots and finding it hard to speak to a real person.
Those seeking redress can struggle to work out who to get advice from, complain to, or find redress.
And that’s before we get to the nub of the matter: power.
Consumers must negotiate their way through markets as millions of separate individuals.
But on the other side of the equation there are well-organised corporate interests and public services.
Consumers need someone that understands their needs – and their ambitions – at the table when decisions are taken.
Consumer advocacy helps re-balance the odds for consumers.
Preventing harm, protecting consumers and supporting them to participate in markets, is what consumer bodies are for.
That benefits individual consumers.
And it has broader benefits for us all.
In Scotland consumer spending accounts for 62% of total GDP.
Our recent statutory Consumer Welfare Report identified that almost 4% of the £129 billion household expenditure in Scotland was associated with detriment.
By increasing consumer confidence, consumer advocacy, advice and information help drive economic growth.
By helping design interventions around consumer needs and behaviours, consumer advocacy can support public services to be more effective and efficient.
The Committee on Climate Change’s 7th Carbon Budget forecast that household emissions choices will contribute to one-third of emissions reduction in 2040.
By providing consumer insight, advocacy underpins progress so that consumers can increasingly benefit from sustainable choices, and see that in lower bills, healthier lives and a better environment.
A strong bond
The potential of consumer advocacy and advice to enhance wellbeing was recognised by the Scottish Parliament when it legislated for Consumer Scotland in 2020.
Just over a year later we found ourselves setting it up.
If you are ever tasked with establishing a public body, I highly recommend you find yourself an appropriate older sibling for support.
We did – a much older sibling as it happens – in the form of the Consumer Council for Northern Ireland, now at the grand age of 41.
Noyona and her colleagues have been generous with their time and advice.
The links between our two organisations have grown.
Not just as we are the two consumer public bodies in the UK with remits across the economy.
But as the consumers we represent have a lot in common.
Though the numbers differ – around 17% of people live in rural areas in Scotland, with nearly double that proportion in Northern Ireland – our respective demographics mean that the consumer impact of rurality is key to both organisations.
The rate of fuel poverty in each region is similar – 33% in Northern Ireland in 2023, 29% in Scotland in 2024.
Sadly, with the dramatic increase in energy debt, and the impact of the Iran war, those figures will be even higher now.
Both organisations represent consumers to state-owned water companies.
In both jurisdictions our organisations operate within legislative and regulatory frameworks shaped by a mixture of reserved and devolved policy.
And we must understand the big shifts – climate change, digital platforms and AI – that are already fundamentally changing consumer reality.
And as organisations whose remits span the economy, our understanding of the consumer experience in one sector informs solutions we propose in others.
That holistic insight – ranging across varied demographics, spanning sectors, across jurisdictions – strengthens our ability to represent consumers, to amplify their voices, to help rebalance the odds in their favour.
And with all the variety, with all that diversity, it matters that we are there to ask the question on behalf of consumers: how does all this join up?
Energy transition
Four years ago, Russia invaded Ukraine, and we had the first energy crisis of the decade.
This year we’ve had the Iran war.
In Scotland – and far more so in Northern Ireland - many households use heating oil, making them particularly vulnerable to fossil fuel price volatility.
Rising energy costs are putting pressure on households.
Earlier this year CCNI rang the alarm bell about fast rising heating oil prices, with evidence from its price tracker.
Consumer Scotland was also at the forefront of raising concerns.
In response, governments promptly stepped in to offer consumers support.
It was an example of why regional consumer voices matter.
And the strength of evidence.
The heating oil crisis – and the impact of fossil fuel price volatility on energy prices generally – poses a stark question.
Is it acceptable to leave consumers vulnerable to international gas and oil prices when the energy transition offers a more consistent, and in the longer-term cheaper, alternative?
Today it has been confirmed that the rate of inflation has risen to 3.5%.
Repeated energy crises don’t just lead to higher energy bills, they drive inflation across the economy, increasing food prices, housing bills and the cost of leisure activities.
That is why the energy transition should be viewed as a consumer protection priority, as well as a climate change one.
But progress will depend on the active participation of consumers.
Whether it’s getting a heat pump, solar panels, an EV, or joining a heat network, consumer demand is key to the transition’s success.
But when consumers’ immediate concerns are paying their bills and staying warm, complex decisions with an upfront cost are unlikely to be their priority.
Consumer Scotland’s investigation into converting home heating reported the main barriers identified by consumers were:
- cost
- uncertainty and lack of knowledge and
- the hassle and disruption of installation
So it is little wonder that there has been limited progress with household participation in the transition.
In Scotland 2.4 million households need to decarbonise their heating.
We currently estimate – and it is hard to be certain - that there are around 75,000 heat pumps installed in Scotland.
In Northern Ireland, the figure is far lower.
In all jurisdictions the energy transition proposition needs to be attractive, and the consumer journey easy.
Consumer Scotland’s 4Cs toolkit is intended to support government and industry to engage households in the transition.
It addresses the four main consumer barriers we’ve identified: cost, convenience, clarity and confidence.
There are reasons for optimism.
Consumers have made costly major changes to their homes before – when they thought they improved them.
In GB, people moved to gas.
When I was growing up, double glazing was a something people aspired to install.
The energy transition offers better homes, reduced bills and health benefits.
It can drive economic growth, innovation and create new jobs.
As well as contribute to Net Zero.
Conclusion
To draw my remarks together, I’ll make some final points.
Advocacy helps improve how the economy focuses on the consumers it should serve.
The distinctive and varied drivers of consumer experience around the UK must be addressed if the economy is to work for all.
And the energy transition should be seen as a consumer protection priority.
Thank you for your time.