Scotland cannot afford to waste renewable energy while 800,000 households are in fuel poverty

These are Scottish Government figures, published last week.

The latest Scottish Government modelling estimates that 800,000 households in Scotland will be in fuel poverty between July and September 2026.

That is 31% of all households.

The same report estimates that around 420,000 households will be in extreme fuel poverty.

Scotland has one of Europe’s richest renewable energy resources. Yet hundreds of thousands of households are still struggling to afford adequate heat.

At the same time, renewable electricity continues to be curtailed because the system cannot always use the clean power being generated.

That contradiction should concern everyone involved in energy policy.
Fuel poverty and renewable energy curtailment are often discussed as separate challenges. They are not.

One is a social challenge.
The other is a systems challenge.
Together, they present an opportunity.

EnergyCloud Scotland was established to help connect these two issues by redirecting surplus renewable electricity to provide free hot water for households experiencing fuel poverty.

As Scotland continues its journey towards net zero, success should not be measured only by how much renewable electricity we generate. It should also be measured by how effectively that energy improves people’s lives.

No renewable energy should go to waste while households are struggling with fuel poverty.

The full Scottish Government report published on 25th June 2026, can be read here