Members of the Panel
There are 6 panel members who were all appointed through a public appointments process. Matthew Cole, Kirsten Jenkins, Alister Steele and Fraser Stewart were all appointed for a second 4-year term in January 2026. Their appointment ends in December 2029. Bryan Leask and Oliva Swann were also appointed in January 2026 for an initial 3-year ending in December 2029.
Matthew Cole – The Chair – Matt heads up the Fuel Bank Foundation, which provides same-day financial support and proactive advice to families living without heat or power, using the lived experience of the 2.5m people helped to date to influence and shape government policy and industry standards, and to drive a renewed focus on delivering great customer outcomes back across the energy industry. Matt also independently advocates on behalf of the most vulnerable across the utilities’ sector and works to drive different strategies to better ensure that customer needs are understood and met as the energy system evolves.
Kirsten Jenkins – Kirsten is a Senior Lecturer in Energy, Environment and Society in the School of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Edinburgh and Programme Director for the Energy, Society and Sustainability MSc. Alongside her lectureship, Kirsten serves as Managing Editor for the journal Energy Research & Social Science, and Associate Member of the Scottish Science Advisory Council. Associate Fellow of the Durham Energy Institute, and external examiner to postgraduate programmes in Development, Environment and Policy at SOAS University of London. Kirsten also runs two large international energy social science networks and works on research grants related to fuel and transport poverty, inclusivity in the energy transition and Just Transitions.
Alister Steele – Alister has 30 years’ experience in delivering affordable housing and community regeneration. As Managing Director of Castle Rock Housing Association, he led the development and implementation of the organisation’s energy and fuel poverty strategies. He co-founded and chaired Our Power, a not-for-profit energy supply business, and is currently a Board member of Communities Housing Trust and Allia Social Impact Investments.
Fraser Stewart – Fraser is the Head of Local Energy Strategy at GB Energy, working with everyone from citizens and communities to local authorities to national government to scale up local and community-owned energy across the country in a fair and just way. Originally from Forfar in the North East of Scotland, Fraser has lived experience of fuel poverty, growing up in an area of high deprivation, and works closely with communities experiencing the issue every day. Alongside deep professional expertise, Fraser brings an intimate knowledge both from a personal and a real-world standpoint, in addition to strong knowledge of policy processes, design, and analysis at local, Scottish, and UK level. He was previously Just Transitions Lead at the energy consultancy Regen.
Bryan Leask – Bryan is the Chief Executive of Hjaltland Housing Association in Shetland. He was previously Director of Asset Management with them. He also currently serves as Secretary to the Rural and Islands Housing Association Forum and chairs the Scottish Rural and Islands Fuel Poverty Action Group. Bryan has a strong and longstanding interest in energy efficiency and fuel poverty and is a qualified Domestic Energy Assessor. He has held a number of influential advisory roles, including as a committee member of Energywatch Scotland, and more recently as a member of several Scottish Government working groups and taskforces, including the Zero Energy Social Housing Taskforce, the Scottish Government’s New Build Heat Standard Working Group, and the Scottish Government’s Energy Standard Review Working Group.
Olivia Swann – Olivia is a consultant paediatrician working at the intersection of child health, housing and fuel poverty. Through her work, she sees how cold, damp homes contribute to children becoming unwell and needing hospital care. Olivia leads the Homes, Heat and Healthy Kids programme, which brings together health, housing and energy data to show where improvements to homes can make the biggest difference for families. Central to her approach is working directly with parents and communities experiencing fuel poverty, ensuring their lived experience informs decision‑making. Olivia has contributed health evidence to Scottish Government advisory groups and policy discussions on fuel poverty and Net Zero. She brings a practical, child‑centred perspective, with a strong focus on prevention and ensuring children’s health is fully considered in actions to tackle fuel poverty.