Grant outraged at lack of empathy with north energy prices

24th July 2015

Highlands and Islands Labour MSP, Rhoda Grant, is outraged at a response from Minister of State, Andrea Leadsom MP, in which she not only gives little detail on progress being made on the Lewis interconnector but she also appears unwilling to look at national pricing for electricity network charges.

Mrs Grant and her colleague, David Stewart MSP, had written to Amber Rudd MP, the new Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, last month about the Western Isles link and asked her to address the matter of the 2p surcharge on electricity which Highlands and Islands customers are charged for their network.

Commenting, Mrs Grant said "I am outraged at this lack of understanding and empathy for the plight of north customers. By stating that national charging could increase prices to the fuel poor throughout the UK, she shows ignorance of the fact that we in the north experience the greatest levels of fuel poverty, a point which is apparently lost on Ms Leadsom. Adding insult to injury, she now appears to be calling into question the Hydro Benefit Replacement Scheme and the cross UK mechanism for funding assistance provided to Shetland.

Mrs Grant continued “This approach shows she has absolutely no understanding of the situation in the Highlands and Islands and worse still appears unwilling to take on board genuine concerns expressed by elected members."