Consumer Scotland - energy, post and water - draft workplan 2022 to 2023: consultation

8. Provisional levy-funded funding 2022-23

Consumer Scotland will be responsible for levy-funded consumer advocacy and advice in Scotland from April 2022. In preparation for that we have engaged with Citizens Advice Scotland, Citizens Advice, the Consumer Council for Northern Ireland and the Consumer Council for Water on the development of this draft work plan. We consider that best value for consumers will be achieved by cooperation and collaboration between consumer advocates across the UK and beyond.

Consumer Scotland is committed to an evidence-driven approach to advocacy, necessitating a programme of activity to develop insight into consumers' needs and aspirations. Our provisional budget has therefore divided into two categories: staff costs and work programme. Staff costs are the direct salary, pension and benefits costs of employing those working on levy activity. All staff employed by Consumer Scotland will be civil servants. Programme costs are those associated with the programme, such as research.

At the time of writing the rate of Inflation is 5.4%. However, we have decided in this draft work plan for our first year of operation to maintain our overall provisional levy budget at the level proposed by our predecessor organisations for 2021-22 and will review that in the light of experience. We also note that given the current significant uncertainty in the energy market, and the potential need to investigate the needs and aspirations of energy consumers in relation to the future energy market, that this will need to be kept under review.

• Note that a budget line for the Big Energy Savings Network may be added in the final workplan following discussion with Citizens Advice Scotland and Citizens Advice.