More than a quarter of people in Dumfries and Galloway are currently living in fuel poverty.
Figures from Energy Action Scotland show that 24 per cent of households across the country are living in fuel poverty – which means they are spending more than a tenth of their income after housing costs have been deducted.
But in Dumfries and Galloway, the figure is 29 per cent – the eighth highest among the country’s 32 local authorities.
The worst affected area was the Western Isles, where two in every five households live in fuel poverty. The lowest rate was in East Renfrewshire, where the level was just 13 per cent.
Energy Action Scotland chief executive, Frazer Scott, said: “This is not a problem that is going away, it is only likely to get worse.
“We estimate that as prices rocket over 100,000 more households will seriously struggle to heat their homes.
“We urgently need more government action to improve the energy efficiency of homes across the country but particularly targeted at households that suffer the greatest rates of fuel poverty.”
The charity wants the UK Government to take a number of steps to combat the problem, including cutting VAT on energy bills and making radical reforms to protect vulnerable fuel poor households.
Mr Scott added: “Continued inaction will cost lives. More than 2,000 more people die in winter when cold damp homes reduces health and wellbeing than they do in summer.”
Dumfries and Galloway Citizens Advice Service is currently running The Big Energy Saving Winter campaign in a bid to help people with soaring energy bills.
They can be contacted by calling 0300 303 4321, emailing info@dagcas.org or online at www.dagcas.org
