Remembering
These early days of winter are a time for rituals. The growing cold and dark of Highland nights prompt us to make preparations for the frosts to come. Our occasional reward, away from the street-lights of town, is the spell-binding view of the stars on a crisp, clear night.
One important ritual has taken place at this time for the past 90 years. Remembrance Sunday has had a renewed significance in recent years with troops in active service, overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the last of the veterans of the horrific conflict which came to an end on 11th November 1918 passing away.
This year has seen the end of our role in Iraq, but we seem no closer to a resolution in Kabul. The military situation seems if anything more difficult than in the past. The casualties have, tragically, grown and the democracy – reflected by the turmoil and doubt surrounding recent presidential elections – seems no less fragile.
The simple act of remembering the sacrifice which has been made, and is still made today, for our freedom should never become politicised. Our respect and admiration for the bravery of servicemen and women should not be about the rights and wrongs of particular conflicts. Nor should we forget the civilian casualties of conflict abroad any more than the victims of war at home half a century ago.
I regret enormously that the occasion this year was marked by very personal attacks on the Prime Minister in the national press. It is an editor’s responsibility to choose what to publish, when to publish it and how to do so. Come what may in the years ahead, Remembrance Sunday should be a time for restraint.
The future of energy – beyond warm words?
Another feature of this time of year, I am afraid, is the renewed focus which falls on the costs of energy.
Slightly over eight out of ten units of energy consumed in Highland households goes on heating, so it is little wonder that this colder time of year places enormous pressure on domestic budgets.
Earlier in the summer, working with Inverness MP Danny Alexander, I conducted a survey of many households across the Highlands & Islands – trying to identify solutions, and to encourage local people to take advantage of the support which is on offer.
Some of the results are alarming, if not wholly surprising in the wake of the recession’s impact on incomes, alongside continuing sharp rises in energy bills. Of well over 700 responses received, slightly over half reported spending more than 10% of household income on heating – meeting the Government’s definition of fuel poverty. One in five reported acute fuel poverty, with over 20% of income going on fuel.
There are a range of issues which must be addressed concerning the support which is on offer. One among them is the way users of heating oil, LPG and solid fuel – of whom there are many where mains gas is absent – have been left out Government initiatives to provide emergency help.
The ‘big six’ electricity and gas suppliers are required to offer social tariffs to all their customers. While not without some complications, I would certainly encourage anyone experiencing difficulty with energy bills to contact their supplier about this option. A significant discount may be available.
The difficulty here is that while a discount and other support applies across the board where heating is from electricity or mains gas, those who rely on heating oil miss out for a very large proportion of their costs. At the same time, they have no protection from regulation against unjustified or sudden price increases.
With the environment also high in the agenda as we await the beginning of the crucial Copenhagen Summit on climate change, we should not forget that energy efficiency – and improved insulation in particular – is a critical part of the long term solution. It is by some distance the easiest way to lower bills without leaving families in the cold.
Again, in this area, there are problems: too much has been left to the big energy firms, who are encouraged to find quick and easy fixes in large volume instead of providing help where it is desperately needed.
On insulation, on energy price regulation, and on help for those reliant on heating fuels, the time for warm words has past. The Government must now commit to serious action.
In the meantime, please do contact my office if I can help with these or other problems – details appear in the advert below. You can also contact the Energy Saving Trust for independent advice on the support currently available – just ring 0800 512 012 to discuss your options with a member of their local team in Inverness.