Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry|10 Dec 2024

Testimony by Fuel and COVID-19 panel.

Introduction

Fuel Bank Foundation is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation registered in England (1175049) and Scotland (SCO488330). The charity was established in 2017, following a trial of the concept of Fuel Bank by the energy company npower, to address fuel crisis.

• Paul Clark is Operations Manager at Citrus Energy

• Suzanne Wright is Financial Wellbeing Manager-Queens Cross Housing Association

• Ros Kane is Head of Governance-Fuel Bank Foundation

• Matthew Cole is the Head of Fuel Bank foundation

Testimony highlights

‘‘Because of the pandemic’’ not lockdown once again takes centre stage. Remember all of this was going on whilst the media/NHS/political messaging was on ‘‘protecting the vulnerable’’ and it all had to be followed to benefit your health and to protect wider society. Many people and politicians were clapping in the streets.

• Being at home more increased utility costs

• Children not in school

• Support networks disrupted

• Job losses

• ‘Huge’ numbers of new benefit applicants

• ‘Huge’ negative impacts on mental health and wellbeing due to isolation

‘‘People were left in cold, damp homes.’’

‘‘The people who were approaching us were close to suicide.’’

‘‘Lots and lots of people who already were vulnerable and had medical conditions…their medical condition was exacerbated because they couldn’t put the heating on…people with RESPIRATORY conditions.’’

‘‘There was much more demand from vulnerable groups for help and support.’’

‘Panic-demic’ lockdown impacts

• Hundreds of panic calls due to unemployment

• No money for food

• Worried about health

• Struggling with prescriptions

‘‘A huge part of their (support) network just disappeared.’’

‘‘We had residents who were struggling with their own social isolation and the impact on their mental wellbeing…staff had call after call of real stress and difficult conversations.’’

Energy debt

As has been evidenced throughout ‘the pandemic’ the people of Scotland and small businesses were crushed by the authoritarian jackboot of lockdown, jobs, health, livelyhoods etc all destroyed yet the big corporations have made and continue to make a killing. The situation with standing charges is a national scandal.

‘‘Some people have energy debt balances of £4,000. These people are going to have a noose round their neck for years and years to come. Then we see through the media every year the vast profits energy companies are making.’’

-Paul Clark—Paragraph 20 of statement

‘For suppliers now debt issues are MASSIVE…in Scotland it’s going to touch 4 BILLION for consumers and commerical energy users.’’

NB: £4 billion was later corrected as UK total not Scottish.

‘‘The debt situation has gone beyond the pale…energy prices continue to double..treble.’’

‘‘We used to average 250 disconnections per year..it’s now 3,500 per annum.’’

-Paul Clark

‘‘Some people go for YEARS without having access to their gas.’’

-Suzanne Wight

‘Self disconnection’

Likely to go unreported by the media it was made known the numbers of people in ‘‘fuel crisis’’ in Scotland has increased 10 times since lockdown. A shockingly high number of these people are elderly, sick and vulnerable.

‘‘Before COVID we supported 4,000 people..first year of COVID so 2021 20,000 people..the second year of COVID 40,000 people and that number has continued to go upwards.’’

‘‘People that have a CRITICAL dependancy on energy..we track that. Between 40-43% of people who’s meters we are topping up to get back them on supply are very young, very old, very poorly and very cold.’’

‘‘Net Zero’’

One of the main contributors to fuel poverty is ‘net zero.’ Scotland contributes at present, 0.1% to the global CO2 total.

‘‘The Scottish Government continues to focus on fuel poverty linked to carbon reduction.’’

Statement highlights-Paul Clark

Smart meters

‘‘Some people experienced fuel crisis due to an inability to leave the home to top up a pay as you go ('PAYG') meter. To combat this, suppliers pitched SMART meter installation as a solution as SMART meters can be topped up remotely from your home.’’

‘‘If as inevitably happens, the consumer doesn't respond, the supplier can remotely change the SMART meter to become PAYG with no need to apply for a warrant to make this change. The issue is SMART meters can also work like a PAYG meter. Not everyone is aware of this.’’

‘‘Once a SMART meter is installed in a home, if a consumer falls into energy debt, at the flick of a switch, the supplier can switch the SMART meter to operate as a PAYG meter.’’

-Paragraph 16 of statement

EMERGENCY PROTECTIONS

Protection from eviction

‘‘Putting debt recovery on hold for all debts did not really help the people that it needed to. Citrus Energy is now helping people mired in debt to landlords, councils, and energy companies. The effects from debt accrued during COVID-19 will be felt for years.’’

-Paragraph 18 of statement

‘‘Regulators and Governments need to step in and say, "you have attained massive profits during this period. Do us a favour, get rid of some of the back historic debt on these vulnerable people"

-Paragraph 21 of statement

Thoughts

Government ordered lockdowns damaged societies more than any invading force ‘viral’ or otherwise. There is still widespread denial about this.

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End

Links:

Full video

Statements:

Fuel Bank

Paul Clark

Suzanne Wright

Rosalyn Kane