Initial Advice to Scottish Government - Recommendations

Rec No.	How Quickly?	Recommendation
1	Immediate	the delivery of frontline services. This can be supported in the short-term by providing the additional funding commitment, made through Programme for Government, with a multi-year guarantee. 2 Immediate Launch a public information campaign,
2	Immediate	communities, as soon as possible to keep people warm and healthy this winter. 3 Immediate Scottish Government should broker a
3	Immediate	protocol between itself, advice agencies and energy suppliers to achieve the best outcomes for those struggling with energy bill payments and debt. This would target 4 specific areas where a voluntary protocol could be of tangible help to the financially vulnerable: I. energy supply companies should facilitate easy access for advice agencies through dedicated numbers for all advice agencies II. energy network and supplier companies should use data to enable more proactive identification of those in financial vulnerability III. energy suppliers should manage the sharing of customer credit records, for consumers who fall into debt this winter, in the overall context of the customer's credit record and with sensitivity to the exceptional circumstances of the energy crisis IV. energy companies should provide targeted information on the efficient use of heating systems to their customers - if they have not already done so.
4	Immediate	Review the design of energy advice services, including the funding model for advice services, to inform funding and policy decisions in 2023/24.

Optimise Advice Agencies' delivery to mitigate the impact of rising energy prices, and other cost of living challenges, on households

Rec No.	How Quickly?	Recommendation
5	Immediate	Adopt the Fuel Insecurity Fund model in the design of future funds to support the vulnerable.
6	Immediate	Adopt the Warm Homes Prescription model as a policy initiative.
7	Medium	Increase the policy ambition and funding for energy efficiency in homes and introduce stricter standards for new build properties.
8	Medium	Fund reseacrh into definitions and modelling of advanced heating requirements.

Protect those suffering fuel poverty, and those at risk of entering fuel poverty, from its long-term effects

Rec No.	How Quickly?	Recommendation
9	Immediate	9.1 The Scottish Government should press the UK Government to use its fiscal and policy levers to stress the need for resources to support the fuel poor - recognising the particula challenges faced by those off-grid and underpinned by the principle of "equality" for all 9.2 The Scottish Government should ensure that, within the constraints of resrved energy policy, devolved policy and fiscal levers are being deployed to best effect now and after April 2023.
10	Immediate	The Scottish Government should urge the UK Government to reform the energy market - including the taxation and pricing models.
11	Medium	The Scottish Government should develop a monitoring and evaluation framework for the Fuel Poverty strategy and undertake renewed estimates of levels of fuel poverty.

Continue to advocate for Government funding and policy change to mitigate the escalating disparity between incomes and energy prices. (points 9 and 10) Monitor and evaluate the Fuel Poverty Strategy. (point 11)