Badenoch MSP highlights energy equality
Badenoch’s MSP has said it is "outrageous" that people living in the Highlands don’t have cheaper energy bills, as Highlanders continue to pay more and face higher fuel poverty levels than elsewhere in the UK.
Kate Forbes said that those in the north often had to face the "disruption of construction and a different view on the horizon" without seeing cheaper bills in return.
The MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch spoke out after new Which? research revealed that fuel and energy prices are a bigger concern for consumers in Scotland than the rest of the UK.
Said Ms Forbes: "I am not in the least bit surprised that Scottish consumers are more concerned about fuel and energy costs, considering Highland consumers pay more per unit than counterparts in other regions.
"The irony is that a lot of the renewable energy generation happens in the Highlands – from hydro schemes dating back to the sixties, to wind farms that continue to be erected today.
"I think it is outrageous that Highland consumers don’t see cheaper bills for energy use, when they are often the ones who put up with some of the disruption of construction and a different view over the horizon.
"Not only do Highland consumers get no benefits of being close to energy generation, but they actually pay more.
"It’s a perfect example of the great global inequalities that the region which has the highest levels of fuel poverty is the home of energy generation."
