Advice issued to Sutherland residents as price of energy surges
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Sutherland residents have been urged not to struggle alone as the energy price cap rises by 54 per cent from today.
Advice Direct Scotland (ADS), which runs the national service advice.scot, encouraged those with concerns about the surging cost of gas and electricity bills to get in touch for support.
The charity’s energyadvice.scot service offers advice on billing and meters, complaints and disputes, grants and assistance, loss of energy supply and switching suppliers.
It also runs the free debt advice service, moneyadvice.scot, which provides information and support on a wide range of debt-related issues.
Average household energy costs are set to rise by £693 after regulator Ofgem hiked the price cap on bills to £1791 – with a further increase expected later this year.
A recent Survation poll for ADS found more than two-thirds of Scots are worried about affording their energy bills this year and many already feel cold in their own homes because they are limiting usage.
The research found 70 per cent of respondents were either very worried or quite worried about being able to pay their bills, and 65 per cent said they had already rationed their energy use in the past 12 months so they could afford to spend money on other goods or services, including food.
And of those limiting their usage, 29 per cent said they "often" feel cold in their own home as a result and 57 per cent "sometimes" feel cold – a total of 86 per cent.
The energy price cap, which limits how much providers can charge customers, was introduced in January 2019 and is reviewed by Ofcom every six months.
Andrew Bartlett, chief executive of ADS, said: “This sharp rise will come as a devastating blow for many households across Scotland, and will only intensify the current cost-of-living crisis.
“We know many people are already struggling to afford bills, with two-thirds of those who responded to our poll saying they’ve faced the stark choice between heating and other goods or services like food. The important thing to remember is that you don’t have to struggle alone. Free, impartial and practical advice is available to everyone in Scotland through our energyadvice.scot service.
“Our expert advisers are on hand to offer support and advice to anyone with concerns, and our specialist debt advisers at moneyadvice.scot can help if you have personal financial worries, are struggling with debt, or need a way of getting back on track.”
