Nearly two million people turning down heating due to bills, study finds

An estimated 1.7 million adults in Scotland are turning down the heat as their bills rise, a new study from Citizens Advice Scotland has found.

A analysis from the charity by YouGov has estimated that 1.7m adults (78% of adults in Scotland who have cut back on household spending due to energy costs) are turning down the thermostat or not heating all the rooms in their home in order to deal with rising energy costs.

Due to this, the charity is running Big Energy Saving Winter, a campaign encouraging people to seek advice if they are worried about the cost of living and energy bills this winter.

Data from previous years from Citizens Advice Scotland found that one in 10 cost of living energy related cases across the Citizens Advice network also required food insecurity advice.

Analysis released last week for the campaign found that an estimated 1.3 million adults in Scotland have cut back on groceries because of rising energy bills.

CAS Social Justice spokesperson David Hilferty said: “As the cost of living continues to rise people are turning down thermostats and not heating every room in their home to deal with energy prices.

“In some cases that may be a sensible move to reduce costs; however, for others it may create long-term health problems if their home isn’t adequately heated or cold.

“Anyone worried about bills, the cost of living and cold homes can turn to the Citizens Advice network for help. Visit cas.org.uk/besw to find an advice option that works for you, whether that is one to one in a local CAB or through one of our online platforms.

“Our advisers get real results – last year we unlocked £132m for people and on average those who saw a financial gain after seeking advice were £4,200 better off. That could be actually life-changing money this winter.

“We are for everyone regardless of if they are in work or not, and our advice is free, impartial and confidential. We don’t judge, we just help so anyone who is struggling in a cold home should seek advice as soon as possible.”