Our Man in Westminster: Continued push for action on energy costs Mp Drew Hendry says 'the astronomical rise in energy costs the situation is at a crisis point for many families'
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It will not surprise readers that the rising energy costs continue to occupy much of my time as your MP – simply because I know it is an absolute priority for many of you.
At this time of year, we are all aware that the cost of heating our homes plays a much more significant part in our overall household costs.
Naturally, lower-income households acutely feel the strain, but with the astronomical rise in energy costs the situation is at a crisis point for many families.
I raised the issue again in the House of Commons last week.
This time it was up to Jacob Rees-Mogg to respond and to talk up the measures the government has put in place, as if they were in any way adequate to deal with the problem.
This UK government’s complete lack of attention to escalating energy and living costs shows just how out of touch they are with the crisis so many folk are facing.
I will continue to raise this issue at every possible opportunity, and there is a way you can also help.
This newspaper’s petition to call on the UK government to end unfair electricity surcharges levied at homes in the Highlands and Islands has nearly 2000 signatures.
If you haven’t added your name yet, the petition is on the Courier’s website.
Amid a Tory cost of living crisis, it can be hard to find a positive news story but there was some in the form of the Scottish Government’s recent ScotWind project auction.
With its new powers over the Crown Estate, the Scottish Government has led a programme which will lease areas of the seabed around Scotland for wind farm developments.
The ScotWind deal will provide enough power for every home in Scotland, allow us to become a major exporter of clean energy, and help create thousands of high-value jobs, many of them right here, on our doorsteps.
This auction is another step in our nation’s commitment to tackling the climate crisis and becoming a world-leading renewables centre of excellence.
It is estimated that the ScotWind programme will generate over £700 million to be spent on public services over the next decade.
In addition, for every gigawatt built, there will be at least £1 billion of additional investment, transforming the Scottish economy into a green economy.
This is another example of how having the power to make decisions in Scotland can help us shape a greener, fairer and more prosperous future.
