YOUNG people have replaced senior citizens as the group in society most at risk from living in fuel poverty, according to official figures.

Around one third of under 35s – 141,000 households – are struggling to heat their homes, which Labour says is rooted in the large number of private sector tenancies.

Labour MSP Pauline McNeill said: “Fuel poverty is not just an issue that affects pensioners – young people, particularly in the private rented sector, are increasingly at risk.”

The previous Scottish Executive aimed to eradicate fuel poverty by 2016, but the SNP Government abandoned the target.

Ministers set up two working groups to provide advice and recommendations, following which a new definition of fuel poverty was written and alternative targets proposed.

According to the current definition, 52.9% of over 75s – amounting to 159,000 householders – were deemed to be fuel poor in 2015.

In second place were people who are 65 or older, while the under 35s were the fourth age group of five most likely to suffer from this form of poverty.

However, under the new definition, the proportion of under 35s in fuel poverty increases from 24.4% to 36.2%, a long way ahead of the 26.9% of over 75s in the same predicament.

Overall, under the new definition, the fuel poverty rate for 2015 is expected to be nearly 26% compared to around 31% under the current definition.

McNeill added: “Labour is campaigning to end fuel poverty this Christmas, we have a plan to ensure everyone has access to a warm, dry home and fair energy prices.

“In 2002, the last Labour-led Scottish government set a target to eradicate fuel poverty by 2016, but years of inaction from the SNP means that target was missed. Fuel poverty is a product of low-income, high-fuel costs, and homes with poor energy efficiency."

John Dickie, director of the Child Poverty Action Group, said: "Far too many families face fuel poverty and impossible choices over whether to pay energy bills, put food on the table or get into debt. Children are still too often growing up in cold homes with consequences for their education, health and wellbeing.

“It is vital that the fuel poverty strategy and targets are closely aligned with wider action to end child poverty. There needs to be a clear focus on ensuring families with children are able to access energy efficiency programmes and are supported to maximise their incomes."

Housing Minister Kevin Stewart said: “The biggest factors affecting fuel poverty are high fuel prices and household incomes, which we have no control over and as we know, prices have been increasing and households are subject to major UK Government welfare cuts. That is why we are focusing on tackling fuel poverty through making homes warmer and cheaper to heat, and between 2009 and 2021 we will have allocated over £1 billion to tackle fuel poverty and improve energy efficiency.

“Our current Fuel Poverty Bill, Draft Fuel Poverty Strategy, and Energy Efficient Scotland programme sets out how we will work across government and with partners, including rural and island communities, to tackle the different aspects of fuel poverty and ensure we are prioritising support to those who need it most to bring about the transformation we need to see.”