Social Tariff Working Group: final report – spring 2025
Final report from the Social Tariff Working Group making recommendations to the UK Government on the implementation of targeted energy bill support.
6. Next Steps / Conclusion
The Scottish Government is grateful for the input and guidance from organisations across the energy industry and consumer and fuel poverty landscape. Due to power reservations, our role has been to convene and facilitate a positive and constructive policy co-design process, and to make credible recommendations as a result.
It is beyond doubt that there is immediate need for reform to support energy consumers – with pricing still remaining high, fuel poverty remains considerably higher than pre-Covid levels and the fundamental levers to deliver progress are with the UK Government.
With the agreement of the membership, the Group calls on the UK Government to consider the above recommendations, and commit to the design and implementation of a scheme soon as possible. The group recognises that this is likely to require extensive work and therefore would find expanding the existing WHD infrastructure for this winter (25/26) as an acceptable interim. The group notes the consultation to expand the WHD scheme for winter 25-26 however is clear that the proposed changes are insufficient, with shallow support being offered more widely, and with an impact on the levy paid by billpayers.
The Scottish Government remains committed to working with the UK Government, regulator Ofgem, suppliers and consumer organisations to support the delivery of a social tariff (otherwise known as a targeted bill discount or rebate) across Great Britain, and offers support in taking this forward.
Social Tariff Working Group
February 2025
- EON Next
- Scottish Power
- Scottish Gas
- EDF
- Octopus
- OVO
- Consumer Scotland
- Advice Direct Scotland (ADS)
- Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS)
- Inclusion Scotland
- Scottish Fuel Advisory Panel
- British Gas Energy Trust
- The Wise Group
- Energy Action Scotland