Badenoch and Strathspey MP to highlight injustice of region’s energy bills
Badenoch and Strathspey MP Graham Leadbitter is set to use his first Parliamentary debate to highlight the potential merits of the introduction of an energy rebate for people living in the Highlands.
If implemented, the scheme would offer financial rebates to the region’s residents, offsetting the higher per-unit costs of energy they often face.
Mr Leadbitter, who represents Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey, said the debate in Westminster Hall came at a particularly important time, with colder temperatures setting in just as energy bills have risen.
He pointed out that eligibility for the Winter Fuel Payment has also been restricted by the Labour UK government.
Mr Leadbitter said: “Much of the energy powering the UK is produced in the Highlands, and yet the homes closest to the production of the clean and renewable energy so many people rely on are often stuck with some of the highest bills.
“People who can see excess energy being generated from their gardens should not be paying more to heat their homes or use their appliances.
“And that injustice is an especially bitter pill to swallow now, with energy prices going up and Labour taking the Winter Fuel Payment off of tens of thousands of local pensioners just as the colder weather sets in.
“Labour must not copy the mistakes of previous governments in allowing this injustice to continue - they must seriously consider, and most importantly, implement, a Highland Energy Rebate.”
