Public appointment: Chair and Members reappointed to the Scottish Fuel Poverty Advisory Panel

The Cabinet Secretary for Housing, Màiri McAllan MSP, today announced the reappointments of Matthew Cole as Chair and the reappointments of Kirsten Jenkins, Fraser Stewart and Alister Steele as Members of the Scottish Fuel Poverty Advisory Panel.

Chair

Matthew Cole is a passionate champion of consumers across the energy landscape. He ensures that their circumstances are understood, their needs are better met, and their stories are told.

Matthew launched and now heads up the Fuel Bank Foundation. Fuel Bank Foundation provides same-day financial support and proactive advice to families living without heat or power. It draws on the lived experience of the 2 million people helped to date to influence and shape government policy and industry standards, and to drive a renewed focus on delivering great customer outcomes back across the energy industry.

As the first Chair of the Scottish Government’s statutory Fuel Poverty Advisory Panel, Matthew has continued to advocate and provide a voice for some of the most vulnerable groups in society across the utilities sector where his focus is to ensure that the drive to net zero includes, at its very heart, the most vulnerable. Providing unique perspectives and structured challenge he is passionate about championing how the most vulnerable can potentially gain the most, through having access to cheaper and more stable energy bills and living in better quality, less leaky, more energy efficient homes.

Members

Dr Kirsten Jenkins is a Senior Lecturer in energy, environment, and society within the School of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. Alongside her lectureship, Kirsten serves as Managing Editor for the journal Energy Research & Social Science and Associate Member of the Scottish Science Advisory Council, amongst other roles. Until March 2026, she is adviser to the Scottish Parliament’s Net Zero, Energy, and Transport Committee.

Dr Fraser Stewart is the Head of Local Energy Strategy at Great British Energy. His driving mission is to leverage net zero to bring new value to low-income and working class communities, tackling fuel poverty in the process. He holds a PhD from the University of Strathclyde, which set out how local and community energy innovations could support a just transition in practice, with deep energy system, market, policy and citizen engagement expertise.

Alister Steele has had 30 years’ experience in delivering affordable housing and community regeneration. As Managing Director of Castle Rock Edinvar Housing Association, he led the development and implementation of the organisation’s energy and fuel poverty strategies. He co-founded and chaired Our Power, a not-for-profit energy supply business, and is currently a Board member of Communities Housing Trust and Allia Social Impact Investments. Alister was awarded the MBE in June 2014 for services to social housing and regeneration in Edinburgh.

Reappointments

The reappointments will be for 4 years and will run from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2029.

The re-appointments are regulated by the Ethical Standards Commissioner.

Remuneration

Matthew Cole’s reappointment is part-time and attracts a remuneration of £227.55 per day for a time commitment of 18 days per year.

Dr Kirsten Jenkins, Dr Fraser Stewart, and Alister Steele’s reappointments are part-time and attract a remuneration of £173.99 per day for a time commitment of 12 days per year.

Other ministerial appointments

Matthew Cole, Dr Kirsten Jenkins, Dr Fraser Stewart, and Alister Steele do not hold any other public appointments.

Political activity

All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process.  However, in accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for appointees’ political activity within the last five years (if there is any to be declared) to be made public.  

Matthew Cole, Dr Kirsten Jenkins, Dr Fraser Stewart, and Alister Steele have had no political activity within the last five years.

Background

The Scottish Fuel Poverty Advisory Panel (“The Panel”) is an advisory Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB).

The Panel scrutinises Scottish Ministers’ progress towards delivering Scotland’s 2040 fuel poverty targets and how their policies and programmes are tackling the four drivers of fuel poverty - poor energy efficiency of the home; low household income; high fuel costs; and how energy is used in the home. The Panel also helps the Scottish Government work on short, medium and long-term fuel poverty issues and potential solutions, including how support can best be provided to those in, or entering, fuel poverty. The Panel works to foster collaboration across the fuel poverty stakeholder landscape