PEOPLE living in Shetland have been warned they could need to earn over £100,000 to avoid fuel poverty, according to the islands' council.
It estimates that by April, the average energy cost in the Isles could be as much as £10,000 per year.
This is more than double the rest of the UK with islanders being told they would need to earn at least £104,000 to afford their bills.
A survey conducted found that 96% of households could be spending 10% of their income on energy costs.
The islands' significantly colder climate along with poor insulation and a lack of cheaper energy options is expected to aggravate the effects of the cost-of-living crisis in the community.
Council leader Emma Macdonald has now written to Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi calling for immediate government intervention.
The council also said that, despite being at the heart of the oil and gas industry, they had not seen the benefits of lower energy prices.
The UK Chancellor came in for criticism this week as he travelled to the US to meet with top bankers amid a worsening cost of living crisis.
According to the Treasury, Zahawi is in America to seek joint solutions to the crisis although Labour have condemned the taxpayer-funded trip as “another junket at the taxpayer’s expense”.
Last Friday, UK energy regulator Ofgem said the price cap would rise by more than 80% from £1971 to £3459 from October.
It is then expected to rise again to over £5000 by January, according to money saving expert Martin Lewis.
The Highlands and Islands Homes Warmth Group, alongside the Good Law Project and Fuel Poverty Action, announced plans to sue Ofgem over what they called a “failure to mitigate the impact of rising energy bills on consumers”.
More to follow.
