SCOTTISH ministers must be more ambitious in the war against fuel poverty, Labour will urge this week.

SNP ministers are currently working to a target of reducing fuel poverty to no more than 5 per cent by 2040.

But at a committee meeting on Wednesday, Scottish Labour MSPs will push an amendment to the Fuel Poverty Bill to bring that target forward to 2032.

They will also support other amendments to move the target from 5 per cent to the elimination of fuel poverty.

The party said 600,000 households in Scotland live in fuel poverty — covering almost a quarter of the population.

Scottish Labour communities spokesman Alex Rowley said: “The last Labour government set ambitious targets on fuel poverty. It is time to reset those targets and match that ambition.”

Scottish households are considered to be living in fuel poverty if they spend more than 10 per cent of their income achieving a “satisfactory” temperature at home.

For “vulnerable” households, this is set at 23°C in the living room and 18°C in other rooms. For other households, 21°C in the living room and 18°C in other rooms is considered satisfactory.

“No-one should be stuck in a cold, draughty home, but the government’s plans would mean that by 2040, 140,000 households could still be living in fuel poverty,” Mr Rowley added.

“Scotland should be bolder than that. That’s why I will be pushing and supporting amendments this week to create a target for no household in Scotland to be in fuel poverty by 2032.”