Guest Blog: the importance of lived experience in tackling fuel poverty in rural Scotland

Argyll, Lomond and the Islands energy agency (ALIenergy) is an Oban-based charity that works to promote sustainable energy use and renewable energy generation, to address fuel poverty and reduce carbon emissions. Here ALIenergy’s CEO Lynda Mitchell tells us about their recent work with the Scottish Fuel Poverty Advisory Panel, and how it’s informing a new partnership with the Poverty Alliance supporting people living on low incomes to benefit from renewable energy.

Fuel poverty is a major challenge in Scotland, especially in remote and rural areas where environmental and logistical challenges make managing energy costs even harder.

One of the Scottish Fuel Poverty Advisory Panel’s key themes for 2024/25 was the systemic impact of rural and remote fuel poverty. Therefore, ALIenergy, alongside partners Scarf and Tighean Innse Gall (TIG), conducted focus groups in rural communities to better understand the specific barriers people face. 81 participants from Aberdeenshire, Highland, Argyll and Bute, and the Western Isles took part in 12 focus groups. They included a mix of homeowners, private renters, and social housing tenants, with various different heating types, who shared their experiences of living in fuel poverty.

It’s no surprise that rural homes in the north and west of Scotland face unique challenges. With colder, wetter, windier weather, home heating is a constant issue. Add poor insulation and rising energy prices, and you’ve got a recipe for fuel poverty. As rural areas typically have no access to mains gas, many people are struggling with the much higher costs of electric heating, or the upfront costs of bulk heating fuels like oil or LPG. Additionally, underheating of homes can lead to condensation, damp, and mould, exacerbating health issues.

While some participants had always struggled with heating costs, the pandemic and then the energy price crisis have worsened the situation. Higher energy use while at home, coupled with higher costs and reduced incomes, has led to mounting energy debts. Coping strategies included restricting heating, using hot water bottles and blankets to stay warm, and accessing community warm spaces.

Participants expressed frustration with metering problems, particularly around the radio teleswitch (RTS) switch-off which affects many electrically heated households, and the smart meter rollout. Some who have tried to switch to smart meters have been unable to get them, or have faced connectivity issues, meaning the smart meters didn’t function properly.

Participants stressed the importance of local support, particularly from third-sector organisations like ALIenergy. They also called for energy market reform, such as zonal pricing, social tariffs, and reduced standing charges, to help make energy more affordable in rural areas. In terms of housing, there was a strong demand for housing providers to install better insulation and more efficient, renewable heating systems. Finally, many participants felt that renewable energy developers in their areas should contribute more to their local communities, for example through higher community benefit funds or through encouraging community shared ownership of such developments.

At ALIenergy, we believe it is vital that the voices of those experiencing fuel poverty continue to directly inform the solutions that develop. The insights from these focus groups will help to guide future work to address fuel poverty in rural Scotland. By keeping the voices of those most affected at the heart of policy decisions, we hope to help create a Scotland where no one has to choose between heating their home and meeting their basic needs.

We are excited that this year our work will include our partnership with the Poverty Alliance’s Taking Action on Rural Poverty project. People in Argyll and Bute need help to get the most out of the support on offer to switch to clean energy and keep their homes warm. In the report from the fuel poverty focus groups, some clients said that while their home was much warmer following the installation of an air source heat pump, their bills were no lower. The new systems can also bring new challenges such as big fluctuations in bills. We want to explore how people living on low incomes can be protected as we transition to renewable heating. By learning from tenants in social housing about their recent experiences of green energy installation and insulation retrofit, we are developing information and resources that will help people to make savings – and to get the most out of their heat pumps and / or solar panels.

• The Scottish Fuel Poverty Advisory Panel is a statutory advisory Non-Departmental Public Body, which plays an important role in providing independent and expert advice and scrutiny to Scottish Ministers on fuel poverty and progress towards statutory targets. Read the full focus groups report here: Fuel poverty in remote and rural Scotland: focus group analysis - Fuel Poverty Scotland