Labour welcomes progress on electricity surcharge

18th March 2015

Highlands and Islands Labour MSPs, Rhoda Grant and David Stewart, have today welcomed the announcement that a consultation on electricity distribution costs in the North of Scotland is to be launched.

Speaking after the announcement in today's budget, Shadow Islands Minister, David Stewart, said "We have supported campaigners from throughout the Highlands and Islands in bringing the unfair surcharge in the area to the attention of government. This consultation is small progress but much more needs to be done to ensure that people throughout the Highlands and Islands region are on a level playing field with others throughout the UK and are not unfairly penalised because of the region in which they live."

Rhoda Grant said “This is progress of a fashion. It is a step forward but they should equalise distribution costs across the UK as a whole. While this subsidy is welcome it only brings us in the Highlands and Islands down to the second highest while spreading the distribution costs across the UK would be fairer. Due to fuel poverty and harsher weather conditions we will still use more and pay more.”