Business leaders have welcomed news the typical energy bill in a UK household is set to fall £238 a year from April under a new price cap, while arguing more must also be done to boost the transition to clean energy in Scotland.

Sir Tom Hunter noted: “Gas prices have fallen 40% on the wholesale market since November and are now at the lowest level since March 2022. That will feed positively into businesses because it has been such a challenge for them.

“So energy prices are on the way down. Thank goodness for us all!”

While also welcoming the news, Lord Willie Haughey warned the focus must now be on ensuring Scotland is at the forefront of the renewable energy revolution.

Lord Haughey said: “The fact is, the sooner we can get to 100% of clean energy, the better. I would say to cities such Glasgow, if you’re trying to attract inward investment for green projects, this is what you should be lobbying the central government for.”

He noted Scotland’s largest offshore wind farm, Seagreen, is now delivering enough clean energy to supply 1.6 million houses in Scotland. 

“We’ve only got another 1.3 million to cover,” he said, “so why don’t we have a concerted effort to help the investment there?

“If we could tell the world that all of the power that is used in Scotland is from completely clean energy, then I believe that would attract all sorts of finance. 

“We wouldn’t need to tell the government that we need seven billion off of you. We wouldn’t need to tell people you need to be fitting solar panels, fitting heat pumps, fitting batteries, all that stuff. You wouldn’t have to do anything like that. 

“What we could then do is take that money and instead help people reduce their energy costs.

“We could be the first country to wave a big giant green flag. This is achievable! Scotland leading the world . . . who’s not for that?”