Campaigners have called on the Scottish Government to increase social support as more households are “pulled into” fuel poverty.
Poverty Alliance urged the Scottish Government to increase “vital social support” such as the Scottish Child Payment to support families in fuel poverty.
Figures published by the Scottish Government on Thursday show that around 800,000 households in Scotland will be in fuel poverty between July and September.
This is an increase of around 110,000 households from estimates for April to June 2026.
Poverty Alliance policy and communications manager Gary Christie said: “Everyone in Scotland deserves to live in a warm, safe home.
“But these figures show that more and more people are being pulled into fuel poverty.
“We know that cold homes are closely linked to chronic illness and excess winter deaths.
“The UK Government can help by creating a social tariff so that no-one is hit with energy bills they can’t afford, and they can boost the value of social security so that it covers the essentials of daily life.
“And the Scottish Government can help by ensuring its investment to keep homes warm delivers genuine bill savings for households and by increasing the value of vital social support like the Scottish Child Payment, so that households are better protected.”
The data shows that from July to September an estimated 420,000 households will be in extreme fuel poverty.
This is also an increase of around 100,000 households in extreme fuel poverty compared to estimates for April to June 2026.
The new figures are based on the increase in the planned Ofgem energy price caps from 1 July to 30 September.
Energy minister Stephen Gethins said: “Further bill increases will be causing anxiety for many people who are already struggling with the cost of living.
“The Scottish Government has a number of measures in place to help, including support for those in crisis through the Scottish welfare fund and the Scottish emergency heating oil scheme.
“However, in an energy-rich country like Scotland, nobody should be struggling to pay their bills and the fact that so many are shows the fundamental problem with having control of Scotland’s energy resources in the hands of the UK Government.
“Just two years ago the new UK Government came to power promising to cut people’s bills by £300 – yet bills are soaring higher and higher. It is simply not good enough.
“That is why powers over Scotland’s energy must be in Scotland’s hands, so we can make our vast energy wealth work for us and bring down bills.”