Large proportions of Scots are struggling with rising energy costs, exacerbated by a December marked by cold temperatures, snow and ice. After a mild autumn, the cold snap in the first half of December saw many parts of the country dealing with sub-zero temperatures for days on end. While the second half of the month saw some warming, many regions of Scotland experienced snowfall and a white Christmas, with temperatures remaining low in the day, and falling to freezing at night. This has increased reliance on heating across most homes, and as a result spending on energy has increased this month.
The Energy and Utilities Alliance (EUA) found that households were likely paying on average £4 more per day during the coldest days of the month, adding up to a significantly higher bill by the end of the month. With the price cap on energy bills having risen by over £1,500 since last year, this spike in energy usage is likely to have a much greater impact on household finances than it might have just a few years ago. This leaves many families choosing between paying more for energy at the expense of everything else or choosing to let their homes fall to dangerously low temperatures.
Previous research has found that housing disparities between ethnic groups have meant many Black and Asian households are paying more in energy bills. On average, Asian families were paying £1,280 a year between 2018 and 2021, while Black families paid £1,268 in energy bills. At the same time, White families paid £1,144 on average for energy. This disparity is likely due to Black and Asian families on average living in both larger and poorer quality housing. The EUA’s Isaac Occhipinti said that the quality of radiators, insultation of the house and its overall size impacted how much energy it would take to heat. As the energy price cap has risen, large sections of Scottish society have been impacted, but ethnic minority groups are disproportionately at risk of falling into fuel poverty for these reasons. A report from the Runnymede Trust found that BAME people were 2.5 times more likely to be in poverty, with this racial inequality being higher in Scotland than average. As a result, these groups are now among the most vulnerable to rises in energy prices, alongside the cost of living crisis which has been developing this year.
The cold weather this month has brought to much of the country will exacerbate the problems many Scots are facing, which disproportionately affect non-White groups. Higher energy bills are being felt across most of the country, which will place a greater burden on the finances of households around the Christmas holiday. Many of these households are already struggling to recover financially from the impacts of the pandemic. It is clear that the Scottish government must do more to alleviate the impacts of high energy prices, in order to stop racial disparities from increasing across the country.