Dundee Council has said it will continue to work to address fuel poverty concerns.

The assurance comes after recent statistics from the Scottish House Conditions Survey revealed 42% of households in the city are suffering from fuel poverty. That is, they are living on a lower income in a home which cannot be kept warm at a reasonable cost.

The Scottish average of fuel poverty is thought to be 40%.

Commenting on the findings, John Alexander, Convener of Dundee City Council's Housing Committee, said: "I am disappointed that fuel poverty continues to affect so many households in the city, mostly as a result of the high cost of fuel.

"Prices went up 7% in 2013 and have gone up six times faster than income over the same period. Meanwhile household incomes have remained largely static or gone down because of the changes to welfare benefits.

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"As a council we are doing all we can to help to tackle fuel poverty by installing energy efficiency measures such as insulating homes, resolving fuel debt and maximising household income."

He continued: "In partnership with the Scottish Government and Scottish Gas we have harnessed over £8 million of ECO funding to install district heating and insulation schemes to four blocks of multi-storeys at Dallfield and six blocks in Lochee.

"Working in partnership with the Scottish Government and SSE we are using £3.5 million of Home Energy Efficiency Programme for Scotland money to put in external wall insulation programmes at 600 council and privately owned tenements and four in block properties including sites at Lawton, Graham Street, Arklay Street, Hilltown and Clepington Road."

In addition to the above, Councillor Alexander added that the council's Dundee Energy Efficiency Advice Project provides help to households across the city to resolve fuel debt, receive the warm homes discount and have any fuel debt written off.

For 2015/16, the city is also set to benefit from £2m of Scottish Government Home Energy Efficiency Programme for Scotland money. This will help to insulate homes across Dundee.

(JP/MH)