Meeting of the Parliament 17 March 2026 [Draft]
The United Kingdom Government has been painfully slow to act on the matter, given that heating oil prices had already doubled before its intervention yesterday. We have been pressing for action, but the support that was announced yesterday equates to only around £33 per household using oil heating. That simply does not go far enough.
Given the urgency of this problem, the Scottish Government will supplement the £4.6 million that we have been allocated with a further £5.4 million, more than doubling the level of support that is available. With that, we will launch a £10 million Scottish emergency oil heating scheme from 1 April. The scheme will be delivered through Advice Direct Scotland, and low-income households that are reliant on oil will be eligible. Further details will be announced as soon as practicable.
We again call on the UK Government to take its responsibility for energy pricing seriously and to take further actions to support those households. In an energy-rich nation, no one should struggle to pay their bills. Our schemes already deliver average savings of £300 annually, and we will keep further support under review.