Seven in ten Scots 'concerned about rising energy bill costs'

Seven in ten Scots are concerned about the rising costs of energy bills, research has found.

Citizens Advice Scotland said 70% of Scots were worried about bills becoming less affordable by November 2022.

The research, carried out by YouGov for the charity, found that one in five Scots were said to be “very worried” about bills over the coming months.

It comes after the energy price cap – which limits what firms can charge on their default tariffs – was raised twice in 2021, with another increase expected in April 2022.

Citizens Advice Scotland released the figures as part of the Big Energy Saving Winter campaign, which encourages people to seek advice to manage their rising energy bills.

Kate Morrison from the charity said: “After a challenging year for consumers in 2021 when it comes to energy costs, people are bracing themselves for a tough year in 2022.

“People have already had two difficult price rises in the past twelve months, and all the evidence points to further record rises this coming year. That, added to rising inflation more generally, will see some people really struggle.

“It’s also important to note that people are worried about bills becoming more unaffordable – so that doesn’t just mean higher bills but more challenging household budgets generally, from rising prices in the shops to falling or stagnant incomes.

“The good news for consumers in the CAB network is here to help. We’ve been giving free, impartial and confidential advice for over 80 years and during the pandemic we unlocked around £147m for people. For energy advice people who saw a gain were around £272 better off.

“You don’t have to feel powerless about rising bills this year, the Citizens Advice network can help.”