Practitioners involved in tackling fuel poverty must act now to influence future delivery, a fuel poverty conference was told.

The Changeworks Fuel Poverty Conference held in Edinburgh this week brought together policy makers, service managers and frontline practitioners to share best practice, rethink current approaches to fuel poverty and identify opportunities and improvements for the future.

Speakers included Margaret Burgess MSP, minister for housing and welfare, Professor David Sigsworth, chair of Scottish Fuel Poverty Forum and head of a new Strategic Working Group, Di Alexander, chair of the new Scottish Rural Fuel Poverty Task Force, Ross Armstrong, contract director for Warmworks Scotland and Margaret Moore, Joint Improvement Team Action Group member.

Teresa Bray, Changeworks chief executive, said: “With 39 per cent of Scottish households living in fuel poverty it is clear that the statutory target to eradicate fuel poverty by November 2016 will not be achieved. Too many people are still living in fuel poverty in Scotland. A new action plan is required.

“Everyone involved in tackling fuel poverty needs to dig even deeper to wipe out this unnecessary hardship.”