Hidden 15% surcharge imposed on island electricity bills 16/10/14
Island families could be paying up to hundreds of pounds more for their electricity bills compared to the central belt due to a secret surcharge.
Every unit of energy costs an additional two pence in the Highlands and Islands.
A standard tariff is 15.6 pence per unit after the 2p is added on.
It means a Western Isles household pays around 15% more than a family in Oban or Glasgow using the same amount of electricity.
Cllr Angus McCormack, chair of the Poverty Action Group (PAG), said: “This is a national disgrace.
“The Outer Hebrides has the highest fuel poverty figures in Scotland at 71% -
“A two pence reduction in unit costs would have a significant impact on fuel poverty.
“The PAG call on the Scottish Government to resolve this iniquity as a matter of urgency. It will seek the support of the Comhairle, Western Isles Health Board and the Community Planning Partnership to lobby to have this absurd anomaly rescinded immediately.
“How can SSE claim to have any social conscience when it is complicit in creating the conditions for fuel poverty?”
SSE say the surcharge was used to repair and maintain the national grid which it said is more expensive in the north of Scotland and island areas.
A spokesperson for SSE said: “Regional pricing affects all energy suppliers and incorporates the additional costs associated with transporting energy to remote areas.
“SSE favours replacing this with one national charge so a customer pays the same price if they live in Benbecula, Bristol or Bradford.
“We have raised this with the Competition and Markets Authority as one way to simplify customers’ bills.
“We know affordability is customers’ number one concern – that’s why we’ve frozen our standard energy prices to at least January 2016.”