Households across Scotland will receive more help to manage rising energy costs as the Scottish Government expands funding for debt advice and financial support services.
Almost £1 million in additional investment has been awarded to organisations offering specialist advice to people struggling with energy bill debt.
The funding will allow agencies to increase capacity, train additional staff, and strengthen engagement with energy suppliers to ensure fairer and more sustainable solutions for customers in arrears.
Housing Secretary Màiri McAllan announced the boost at the start of Talk Money Week, a national campaign promoting awareness of personal finance and money management.
“In an energy-rich country like Scotland, nobody should be struggling to pay their energy bills,” said Ms McAllan.
“The UK Government said energy bills were going to come down, but they’ve only gone up and could rise further still.”
She said the new investment underlines the Scottish Government’s commitment to helping those most affected by the cost of living crisis.
“Advice agencies like Citizens Advice Scotland, StepChange, and Advice Direct Scotland play a vital role in delivering this support,” she said.
“We’ll continue to work closely with them to ease the burden on households and help those who need it most.”
The £1 million energy debt funding forms part of a wider £16.9 million package to expand free income maximisation and debt advice across the country.
The support will enable local agencies to reach more households, provide tailored guidance on managing bills, and help customers navigate repayment options with energy companies.
Sharon Bell, Head of StepChange Debt Charity Scotland, welcomed the move.
“Scotland is facing an energy debt crisis,” she said.
“More and more clients are coming to StepChange with spiralling energy arrears.
“This funding allows us to provide vital energy debt advice to more people right when it’s needed the most.”
The Scottish Government said it will continue working with key partners to tackle fuel poverty, promote affordable energy, and ensure that vulnerable households are not left behind.
