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msp Mr Wilson, who is Deputy Convener of the Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee, says that the estimated 19 per cent increase in gas and 10 per cent increase in electricity prices will hit poorest families the hardest and drive more Scots into fuel poverty. The most recent Scottish Government figures, published in 2009, suggest that over three-quarters-of-a-million homes are in fuel poverty – where more than 10 per cent of the household income is used to heat the home.

This figure has increase by around 50 per cent since 2002. Speaking at the first evidence session of the Committee, Mr Wilson demanded a meeting with Ofgem and other energy companies in a bid to discover why Scottish Power has went ahead with the recent price hike. He said: “The proposed price hike will drive more families into fuel poverty, while energy companies announce record profits. “The more the energy companies ratchet up fuel prices, the more we need to ratchet up the pressure on them to reflect and justify those price hikes in the face of public anger.”

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