THE Clacks Citizen Advice Bureau is calling on Wee County communities to save their energy as part of Big Energy Saving Month 2021.

The nationwide campaign encourages people to get energy advice focuses on people on electric-only heating, those with prepayment meters, householders struggling with energy bills, those who frequently turn off the heating to save money and people who can’t access deals and support online.

The initiative launches as temperatures fall across the country and fears grow of increasing energy costs as more and more people are forced to stay at home to comply with coronavirus restrictions.

Figures released by the Scottish Government last year revealed 1 in 4 households in Scotland find themselves in fuel poverty and it has been predicted that these fuel poverty numbers could rise further, to 29 per cent, because of Covid-19.

Clacks CAB Managing Director, Jonny Miller, said they were encouraging those facing difficulty to seek assistance.

“As temperatures fall and energy bills are opened in Clacks this January, people might be starting to really feel the pinch of rising bills," he added. “This is particularly the case in 2021, after we all spent, and are spending, so much time at home due to restrictions during the pandemic.

“We’d encourage people who are facing increasingly difficult energy bills to seek advice so we can save their energy this January. There is help available and as always our advice is free, confidential and independent.

“We are also organising two free virtual workshops alongside Home Energy Scotland. They will be held on Friday, January 22 at 12pm and Thursday, January 28 at 6pm."

The sessions promise to provide useful information from energy advisers and Clacks residents are being encouraged to sign up at www.clackscab.org.uk/news/big-energy-saving-month.