by David Hilferty, CAS Director of Impact.

This article was first published in The Herald on 7th March 2026.

At the end of February Ofgem announced the latest cap on energy prices. From April to June, the average household will see a 7% cut in their energy bills. 

This is a more significant decrease in the price cap than we’ve seen for some time, which is welcome. However, let’s be clear. It’s nowhere near enough to make an impact on the problem. Energy bills will remain unaffordable for many thousands of people across Scotland.  

Every day, advisers from our local CABs and our Extra Help Unit see the harm that this causes as people grapple with the brutal reality of not being able to afford their bills.   

In the period from October to December, almost 3,200 people in Scotland needed our support with fuel vouchers – that’s 3,200 people driven to absolute crisis, unable to heat their homes, cook meals, heat water or even put on the lights.  

Over the same period, nearly 1,200 people sought our help with energy debt, and more than two thirds (68%) of those were living with a serious health condition or disability. The average level of energy debt we saw in that period was over £2,300, rising to £2,800 in rural areas.  

Look at these two people we supported recently (names have been changed).  

Aria is a victim survivor of domestic abuse. She struggles to pay for her energy and has accrued energy debt of over £3,000. After speaking to her supplier about repayments, she was told she would need to pay £295 per month to cover ongoing usage and arrears. Aria paid this for about a year but had to get in touch with her local CAB after finding it increasingly unmanageable. She is unable to work due to illness, and her sole income is social security. Aria has had cut back on essential energy usage, which worsened her health further.  

Kyle had recently taken full custody of his two children, aged seven and two, and had to reduce his working hours. The loss of income meant that he was struggling to stay on top of paying for his energy and other essential costs. With £3,460 of debt on his pre-payment meters, part of each top-up was being taken for re-payment, with Kyle spending upwards of £200 per month on energy usage and debt. He was finding it impossible to manage and was constantly at risk of self-disconnection. Trying to balance his energy costs and other essential expenses on a low income, while looking after his young children, was taking a significant toll on Kyle’s mental health.  

The experiences of these two people are by no means isolated. Indeed, they are increasingly typical of the cases that our advisers see every day.  

Of course a 7% cut is a good thing, but it could be reversed in the next quarter. In any case it won’t really touch the sides in terms of helping people like Aria and Kyle. What we need is urgent, bold and targeted solutions that match the scale of the crisis, like a robust scheme for energy debt relief and a social tariff to cut energy bills for those on low incomes or with unavoidable high usage. 

Today’s 7% cut in Ofgem’s price cap falls far short of the bold action that is needed to make bills affordable, according to Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS). 

CAS Director of Impact David Hilferty said, 

“This is a more significant decrease in the price cap than we’ve seen for some time, which is welcome. However, it’s nowhere near enough to make an impact on the problem. Energy bills will remain unaffordable for many thousands of people across Scotland. 

“Every day, advisers from our local CABs and our Extra Help Unit see the harm that this causes as people grapple with the brutal reality of not being able to afford their bills.  

“In the period from October to December, almost 3,200 people in Scotland needed our support with fuel vouchers – that’s 3,200 people driven to absolute crisis, unable to heat their homes, cook meals, heat water or even put on the lights. 

“Over the same period, nearly 1,200 people sought our help with energy debt, and more than two‑thirds (68%) were living with a serious health condition or disability. The average level of energy debt we saw in that three-month period was over £2,300, rising to £2,800 in rural areas. 

“This is the deeply damaging reality that people are being forced to endure, and it is not solved by today’s price cap announcement. We need urgent, bold and targeted solutions that match the scale of the crisis, like a social tariff to cut energy bills for those on low incomes or with unavoidable high usage and a robust scheme for energy debt relief.” 

You can read the latest CAS energy briefing here.  

Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) has responded to the UK Government’s announcement today on the extension of the Warm Homes Discount (WHD).  

CAS Energy spokesperson Molly Shevlin said, 

“For yet another winter thousands of people across Scotland are either going without heat or being forced into unsustainable debt just to keep warm. That’s unacceptable, and it’s happening because our energy market is broken and needs radical reform. 

“Every day our advisers in local CABs and our Extra Help Unit see people who are really struggling, so the extension of the WHD is welcome. However, by itself it isn’t anywhere near enough to address the scale of the problems people are facing right now.  

“What we urgently need is a series of bold and targeted measures that will actually make energy affordable for people, like a social tariff on energy bills to bring prices down for those most in need and a robust, compassionate energy debt write-off scheme.  

“So, we again call on governments, regulators and the energy companies to deliver solutions to match the scale of the problem and give people the long-term support and stability that they need.” 

Notes 

Last month CAS published new survey evidence as part of its Worried This Winter campaign, which aims to put a spotlight on the devastating impact of fuel poverty.  

The figures showed that: 

• 33% of people in Scotland say their biggest financial concern this winter is their energy bills.
• 78% have cut back on some level of their expenses in the past year due to rising energy costs, with 24% limiting hot water usage such as bathing less regularly or sharing bathing water in an attempt to save energy in the last year.
• 59% have been wearing extra layers or using blankets rather than turning on the central heating in an attempt to stay warm in the last year.
• 28% have chosen not to switch on lights in their home when it is dark in an attempt to save energy.
• 36% say the cost of living and energy price have limited their ability to enjoy life, with 17% reporting they have lost sleep and 28% that it has affected their mental health. 

ENDS 

Polling Methodology 

All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 1064 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 4th - 8th December 2025. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all Scotland adults (aged 18+). 

The latest Ofgem energy price cap came into force at the start of this month. That’s not good news though: as we struggle through this bleakest of winters and coldest of months, our gas and electricity bills are going to be more expensive than they were before.

Because the very term ‘energy cap’ is of course a misnomer. When is a cap not a cap? When it fails to protect people from soaring costs and in any case is adjusted – and more often than not upwards – every three months. When the price cap was first introduced in January 2019, the average UK energy bill was £1,137. Today it is £1,758.  

Supposedly intended to help people who were struggling with unaffordable bills, the energy price cap is little more than a sticking plaster on an energy market that needs major surgery. Yet again this winter people across Scotland are shivering in the dark because they cannot afford this essential service that all of us need.

The CAB network sees the devastating impact of fuel poverty everyday – energy is one of our fastest growing areas of advice post-pandemic. Debt is a primary driver of that increase in demand – the average energy debt presented by people we support is over £2,500.

But we know that the scope and scale of this crisis extends well beyond the people supported by our network in local communities all across Scotland. So we recently asked YouGov to investigate the impact of fuel poverty in Scotland as a whole. The results are nothing short of shameful.

YouGov surveyed 1,064 people, one third of whom said their biggest financial concern this winter is their energy bills. Nearly eight in ten people said they’ve cut back on spending over the past year because of these concerns. For many, that means pulling on extra layers or wrapping up in blankets rather than turning on the heating, while around a third of people said that they sometimes sit in the dark because they cannot afford to keep the lights on.

And all of this impacts our mental wellbeing. More than a third of people say soaring energy costs are stopping them from enjoying life. Nearly one in five report losing sleep over it, while more than a quarter say the pressure has taken a toll on their mental health.

This is inexcusable. And yet why is it just accepted? Why are decision-makers unwilling to take the sort of bold action that will address this crisis? The energy cap doesn’t work, and Ofgem’s recent attempts to ‘reset’ energy debt doesn’t go anywhere near far enough to help struggling households.

We and others have set out the actions that will make a difference. What is needed is a comprehensive root-and-branch reform of our broken energy market. The UK Government should introduce a social tariff on energy bills, targeted at lower income households and a proper, robust scheme to reduce or cancel energy debt.

These solutions are known and available. Failing to implement them is a choice.

So let 2026 be the year we take the action necessary to tackle fuel poverty. Anything less will amount to the continued toleration of harm.

David Hilferty is director of impact at Citizens Advice Scotland.

This column was first published in the Herald

by John Porter from the Extra Help Unit at CAS.

This article was first published in The Herald on 3rd January 2026.

As Heat Network Lead at Citizens Advice Scotland’s Extra Help Unit (EHU), my job is to help people who are experiencing harm due to the impact of unregulated energy markets. The support we provide has transformed many lives for the better.   

For those unfamiliar with heat networks, this is where heating, cooling and hot water is supplied from a central source, helping to reduce the use of individual gas boilers or electric heaters. There’s around 30,000 people in Scotland on a heat network, a number likely to increase over the next few years as energy suppliers work to deliver lower carbon options.  

And while working towards net zero is a positive step, the problem with the heat network sector is that it hasn’t been regulated. That means people in vulnerable circumstances have had to fend for themselves against various issues with the system. Until now.  

From 27 January, Ofgem will regulate the heat network sector across Great Britain. This means there will be rules in place designed to stop the bad practices we’ve seen cause people significant detriment. From poor billing arrangements, retrospective tariff increases, and complex meter-related faults, the system hasn’t been working. What’s more, we’ve seen examples of conflicting information being given by different organisations working within the same heat network, causing confusion for everyone involved. Introducing regulations means we can help those who need support the most. 

I was recently called a ‘life-saver’ at work, by a man I was helping who was at risk of losing his heating and hot water as he couldn’t afford to top up his pre-payment meter. I was able to secure financial support that allowed him to top up the meter with enough credit until payday and more importantly, not live in a cold home. 

It's challenging enough for advocacy bodies like us to navigate the sector without regulations, so we can only imagine how tough it must be for the people who are left to resolve these problems on their own. With this in mind, the example mentioned above felt like a particularly rewarding case.

But with any change, it takes time to adapt. It's likely that people on heat networks will continue to need additional support, even with better regulation in place, especially given the fact that when you’re on a heat network you don’t have the option to switch supplier, like you would in the electricity and gas supply sector. And that’s why we’re here. 

People and small businesses on heat networks can be referred to the EHU by Advice Direct Scotland. We can then liaise with the person’s supplier to advocate on their behalf and put things right. It’s imperative that our service exists, not only to help people in crisis, but to also work with stakeholders to drive improvements in the sector.  

We’ll continue playing our part to help people who need it, but it’s going to be important to monitor the extent to which standards improve once Ofgem regulation starts. Heat networks are a growing part of our energy network and those who use them deserve the best service and support available.   

by Molly Shevlin, CAS senior policy officer, social justice team.

This article was fist published in The Herald on 27 December 2025.

“I have to just try to use as little energy as possible...I don’t know how I will be able to keep myself warm this winter.” 

For advisers across Scotland’s Citizens Advice network, hearing agonising worries like this is a daily experience. Even in the lightest, warmest months of this year (July-September), well over 2,000 people came to their local CAB in need of a fuel voucher.  

Let’s be clear about what that means – more than 2,000 people at crisis point, in need of emergency support to keep the lights on and warm their homes. 

With winter now fully upon us, these pressures will intensify with colder days and longer, darker nights. Thousands of people are losing sleep, anxious about the cost of the essentials that we all need and worried about mounting debts.  

That’s why we’re raising awareness of the support available with our ‘Worried this winter?’ campaign. We want anyone experiencing difficulties to know that their local CAB is here to help. 

Advisers at CABs in 300 locations across Scotland provide free, impartial, confidential advice. Last year, they helped more than 25,000 people with a range of energy-related issues, from emergency support to complex problems.  

One of those people was Ada (not her real name). Living alone in a damp home, with energy debt of more than £1,700 and Universal Credit as her sole income, Ada was really struggling. The multiple, overlapping difficulties in her life left her feeling hopeless. But she wasn’t alone.  

Ada’s local CAB helped her unlock extra social security payments, alleviating her financial pressures. They supported her with an application to her energy supplier’s hardship fund to write-off her debt and get a new cooker, fridge-freezer and washing machine. Through their strong network of partnerships, the CAB also helped Ada with a referral to Home Energy Scotland, which saw her home fully re-insulated and a new central heating system installed. With this tailored, person-centred support, Ada said she could finally breathe again; her home felt like the safe, comfortable place that everyone deserves.  

For people like Ada who’ve been bounced from pillar to post, repeatedly failed by the systems and institutions that should protect them, the CAB network often acts as a safety net. The life-changing advice we provide helps people navigate a path out of hardship when it can feel like there’s nowhere to turn. It reminds people that they don’t have to cope on their own. 

Taking that first step to getting support can be hard. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed, demoralised or even ashamed when you’re struggling. There is absolutely no shame in needing help. Our advice is based on trust, expertise and compassion, and that is exactly what you’ll find at your local CAB.  

In 2026, we will continue to push for the changes we desperately need to address systemic failures entrenching harm for people across Scotland; a warm home should not be a luxury, and energy should be affordable for all of us. While we fight for that change, our network will be here to support anyone in need. To find out more here.

One in three (33%) adults in Scotland are concerned about the size of their fuel bills as the winter cold starts to bite, with many also reporting that worries about the cost of living and energy prices are leaving them without sleep (17%) and suffering poor mental health (28%).

The new research was commissioned by Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) as part of its Worried This Winter campaign, which aims to put a spotlight on the devastating impact of fuel poverty. 

The figures show that:

• 33% of people in Scotland say their biggest financial concern this winter is their energy bills.
• 78% have cut back on some level of their expenses in the past year due to rising energy costs, with 24% limiting hot water usage such as bathing less regularly or sharing bathing water in an attempt to save energy in the last year.
• 59% have been wearing extra layers or using blankets rather than turning on the central heating in an attempt to stay warm in the last year.
• 28% have chosen not to switch on lights in their home when it is dark in an attempt to save energy.
• 36% say the cost of living and energy price have limited their ability to enjoy life, with 17% reporting they have lost sleep and 28% that it has affected their mental health.

The charity has been calling on both the UK government and the energy regulator to help struggling households by introducing lasting solutions such as a robust debt write-off scheme and an affordable social tariff that keeps bills down now and into the future.

CAS Director of Impact David Hilferty said: 

“As Scotland’s biggest advice charity, we see the reality of fuel poverty every day in the people who come to us for help. There's been no let up for years now and the average debt we’ve seen across the last five years has doubled to £2,500. 

“Being unable to afford energy bills is devastating for thousands across Scotland, forcing people into unimaginable circumstances. 

“People are losing sleep, rationing hot water and not switching on the lights or heating, even when it’s cold and dark. 

“This is shameful – people should simply not be living like this. It’s long past time that government and Ofgem stepped up their efforts to protect people on lower incomes and vulnerable circumstances during an energy crisis which shows no signs of abating. To do anything less amounts to a toleration of harm.”

ENDS

Methodology

All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 1064 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 4th - 8th December 2025. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all Scotland adults (aged 18+).

“EHU saved me from giving my business up.”

This is what one small business told us. You may not know, but the Extra Help Unit (EHU) within Citizens Advice Scotland supports people and small businesses in vulnerable circumstances with energy issues. We are a statutory service based in Glasgow and offer support across Scotland, England and Wales.

We help with a range of issues including billing, metering and debt through to crisis intervention, taking urgent action to prevent disconnections or accelerating reconnection timescales.

High energy prices continue to place enormous financial strain on small businesses, with devastating consequences for both their immediate operations and long-term viability. A third of businesses reaching the EHU have either been disconnected or face the risk of imminent disconnection.

The sense of desperation, shame and worry is overwhelming - people carry the heavy burden of losing their business and main income stream, while facing the heartbreaking prospect of having to let their employees go.

Too often businesses reach the Extra Help Unit too late. Businesses are afforded less protections in the energy market than domestic consumers, and we often see inconsistencies in the support they are offered, with noticeably less empathy shown.

The impact of our advice and support enables businesses to find a way forward. The types of small businesses we support are wide ranging, and include hairdressers, takeaway shops, pubs, restaurants, small hotels, boxing clubs, social clubs and local business centres. All of these businesses have a common thread; they are serving, supporting and employing people within local communities.

Citizens Advice Scotland may not be the obvious point of contact for small businesses, but we are here to help. We work collaboratively with energy suppliers to advocate on behalf of businesses and to achieve the best possible outcome. In the past 12 months alone, the EHU has been able to put more than £2.8 million back into the pockets of small businesses, with over a third of cases resulting in amended billing and improved payment plans. 96% of businesses surveyed were happy with the quality of service and in 97% of cases, a positive outcome was achieved.

We also hold energy suppliers to account. We hold regular meetings with energy suppliers and the regulator, Ofgem, and continue to use our unique insight to push for policy change and improvements in service delivery. We’re keen to see greater consistency across the market, especially with timescales linked to disconnection and more importantly, reconnection. We are also working to improve solutions where people are caught up in non-domestic contracts and also, improve support where complaints relate to energy brokers.

To ensure businesses thrive, it’s important for those struggling with energy issues to know, they do not need to struggle alone, they have a voice. It’s important for any person or business struggling with energy issues to know that they don’t need to struggle alone; we are here to provide the support needed.

Natasha Gilmour is head of The Extra Help Unit  at Citizens Advice Scotland.

This column was first published in the Herald 5th December 2025.

by Emma Jackson, CAS Head of Social Justice.

This article was first published in Scotland on Sunday on 30 November 2025.

As hundreds of thousands of people across Scotland face this winter desperately worried about how to afford the essentials, we all need, it was imperative that this Budget delivered hope to those experiencing the most harm. A Budget where the Chancellor chose to do the right things.  

Scrapping the two-child limit was undeniably the right thing to do. A cruel and pernicious policy that has forced families into poverty, it was long overdue to remove this from our social security system. Scrapping this will be transformational for around 20,000 children in Scotland, helping families to break free from poverty.  

Ending this will also enable the Scottish Government to further invest in tackling child poverty. The First Minister has already committed to using the money set aside to mitigate this policy – around £155 million – towards the Scottish Governments primary mission of ending child poverty. Really welcome news.  

The Citizens Advice network is a core part of Scotland’s anti-poverty infrastructure. Our network of CABs in over 300 locations deliver advice that changes lives, returning almost £170 million into people's pockets last year alone. Investing in advice is a key part of tackling child poverty. 

This Budget gave the Chancellor the opportunity to do the right thing in other areas too. The unique evidence from the Citizens Advice network clearly points to what is causing people the most harm; gaping holes in our social security system and broken energy markets. There was a chance to do the right thing on Local Housing Allowance (LHA) and a social tariff for energy.  

The failure to act on unfreezing the rate of Local Housing Allowance means that a growing number of people will continue to not afford their rent. LHA is a fixed rate for private tenants to help with rent. This rate has been frozen since 2020, yet over the last 5 years rents have risen significantly, forcing people either into arrears or homelessness. The current average rent arears that people seeking advice from their local CAB on is over £4000. Enabling people to afford to remain in their homes would have been the right thing to do.  

So, too would have been delivering a social tariff on energy bills. The energy market is broken, with unaffordable costs keeping people in fuel poverty and entrenching debt, with devastating impacts on people's physical and mental health. People like Callum, a father of two young children and a newborn, unable to afford to top up energy meters and buy baby formula, wracked with anxiety and concern for his family's wellbeing.  

A social tariff for people on low incomes and those with unavoidable high energy use (namely disabled people) would address the harmful cycles in which thousands of people are trapped. In a just and compassionate society, surely the right thing to do is making sure we can all heat and light our homes? 

Our CABs are bracing themselves for another difficult winter, where demand remains high and the complexity of issues people bring greater than ever. The continuing failure of broken energy and social security systems means people are cold, hungry, isolated and overwhelmed.  

It doesn't have to be this way. Governments can choose to do the right thing to ensure that we all have enough to live decent and dignified lives. 

Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) has said the latest rise in the Ofgem energy cap is no help to people who are in crisis with their energy bills.

CAS Director of Impact David Hilferty said,

“Today’s announcement from Ofgem offers no relief as winter starts to bite. And it’s a stark reminder that the price cap is failing to protect people from energy costs that are still well above pre-crisis levels.

“Our latest evidence shows that unaffordable energy bills are entrenching harm in communities across Scotland. Over the summer, even with the warmer weather, the average energy debt brought to the Citizens Advice network was over £2,300.

“That means people trapped in debt just to live - to have warmth, light and hot food on the table. The essentials that all of us should have. 

“The energy system is broken and needs major reform – and urgently. We can’t go on tinkering with small adjustments to a dire situation that has been going on too long.

“Next week’s Budget is an opportunity for bold and far-reaching solutions that meet the scale of the crisis. This means lasting measures like a robust debt write-off scheme and an affordable social tariff that keeps bills down now and into the future.”

The latest CAS Energy brief shows that, across the Scottish CAB network between July and September (the warmest time of the year):

• 7,500 people received energy advice from their local CAB.
• The average level of energy debt brought to CABs remains over £2,300.  
• Nearly a third of people (30%) seen by a CAB for energy support needed a fuel voucher.
• The brief also contains a number of case studies from Scottish CABs (with names changed to protect privacy). e.g. 

Shilpa’s experience 

Shilpa was referred to her local CAB for advice as she had minimal funds on her pre-payment meters but wasn’t eligible for a local authority crisis grant, having received three in the past year. Having accrued debts on both the gas and electricity meters totalling £2,500, part of each top-up she made was taken towards re-payments, meaning she was left with little money to cover her usage. Shilpa has cancer and had recently left hospital; the psychological strain of living in debt was having a profound effect on her physical and mental health.