Energy firms should be banned from cutting off gas and electricity from households unable to pay escalating costs, a Dundee-based MSP has said.
Labour’s Mercedes Villalba will propose a policy in Holyrood which would stop suppliers from being able to disconnect struggling customers during winter.
While the Tories capped energy prices so that the average household will pay £2,500, some consumers can still be charged more than this and costs have already risen.
Energy policy is not devolved to the SNP, but Ms Villalba believes ministers should try to find a workaround.
‘Rocketing fuel bills’
She said: “Holyrood should test its legal powers and support a ban on disconnecting households from energy supplies.
“Families are facing rocketing fuel bills, with the bitterly cold winter months just around the corner.”
Households are rarely cut off from their electricity and gas supplies immediately if they cannot make payments.
Instead they can often negotiate an agreement with their supplier to pay back what they owe over a longer period of time.
However, if no deal is reached energy firms can take customers to court and obtain a warrant to disconnect their supply or install a prepayment meter.
Under Ms Villalba proposals, the Scottish Government would stop power companies from being able to do this.
The Labour MSP said: “In-Work poverty is rife, with the cost-of-living crisis out of control, leaving many unable to meet the staggeringly high bills demanded by the privatised energy firms.
‘Widespread support’
“While energy powers remain largely reserved, there is widespread support among MSPs for measures to prevent the fuel poverty caused by the fuel price hike.
“I am hopeful that SNP and Green MSPs will be receptive to the proposal I intend to present to Holyrood to support those facing severe hardship this winter.”
Scots living in rural areas already face some of the highest energy bills in the UK due to extreme fuel poverty.
In August it emerged Tayside consumers had been getting overcharged for years due to a “distortion” in a UK Government initiative.
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “This is an incredibly unsettling time for consumers and we continue to do all we can to support households.
“Whilst powers related to the energy market are reserved, we continue to advocate for the needs of Scottish consumers, including those at risk of disconnection.
“At the recent energy summit chaired by the first minister, energy companies agreed to pursue all possible options to provide enhanced support to consumers who are in difficulty.”