Half of Scots have had to cut spending to cope with rising bills

Research looking at the impact of rising energy bills found that 48% of adults in Scotland have had to cut back on household spending due to energy costs.

This included 9% – equivalent to 198,854 people – who have done so by reducing spending on hobbies and leisure activities for their children, such as after-school clubs, parties and school trips. Meanwhile, 7% are cutting back on clothing and accessories, with Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) warning that as a result “tens of thousands” of children are missing out.

It had analysed polling data from YouGov which questioned 1002 adults – with 484 of them saying they had had to cut back on household spending due to rising energy costs.

The advice network has now launched its Big Energy Saving Winter campaign in a bid to help those worried about energy bills, urging people to seek advice from their local Citizens Advice Bureau. Last year, they managed to unlock £132 million for people through social security and employment entitlements.

CAS chief executive Derek Mitchell said: “In the run-up to Christmas, parents will want to treat their kids while balancing the demands of the cost of living crisis.

“This analysis suggest many are having to make the heart-breaking decision to cut back on things for their kids to deal with rising energy bills.

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“That is a horrible situation for any parent to be in, and we would encourage anyone worried about energy bills and the cost of living to seek advice from the CAB network.

“We are for everyone, whether they are working or not. We don’t judge, we just help. Our advisers get real results.

“Last year, we unlocked £132m for people, and people who saw a financial benefit from seeking advice on average were over £4200 better off.”