WITH the further storms that have been battering us, fuel costs remain the issue as folk struggle to keep warm.

So far, efforts by Governments both sides of the Border remain inadequate for the scale of the need.

The sums offered up by the Chancellor pale when you realise how much the Treasury will rake in through VAT on higher bills.

Fuel in any event should be zero rated for domestic supplies.

It’s an essential item, not a luxury, and should be treated the same as food.

The immediate funds for it can be obtained from a windfall tax on energy producers who have been raking in gargantuan profits.

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That this is happening at a time of misery for so many is just disgraceful.

As an aside is the return of bankers’ bonuses, especially in those financial institutions owned or bailed out by the taxpayer.

But on energy there requires to be a root and branch review of how it’s charged.

It’s absurd that Scotland pays more in transmission charges for the energy it supplies and then has to be pay more for the power that’s then supplied back to the country.

It’s reckoned that one in three in Scotland is in fuel poverty, which is when over 10 per cent of your income is spent on fuel.

The worst areas are in the islands, where almost 50 per cent are in or near it. It’ll be less here but it’s still hard – and for far too many.

The charging regime also sees those on pre-paid meters and who invariably are the poorest paying significantly more. That’s just not right.

No notice is taken of those who require to be at home or are undergoing medical treatment and equipment that may be required.

It’s why there should be a social tariff available for those in need, whether through limited income or through exceptional needs such as health or incapacity.

We require to heat and power our homes, yet folk are ‘self-disconnecting’ as they simply can’t afford to use it. That’s shameful and must change.