The energy supply difficulties may have international causes but there are still measures that people can take within their own households to help their personal situations.

Help and guidance are available from various organisations to let householders reduce bills and avoid getting into debt – or to deal with debt that already exists.

The problem has been caused by a rise of approximately 250% in the wholesale price of gas since the start of this year, partly because of a large increase in demand caused by a very cold winter and also because restrictions relating to the Covid-19 are lessening around the world, meaning everybody is using more energy now than they have over the past couple of years.

As a result, a number of energy providers in the UK have ceased trading, in many cases because they were not able to afford to offer the services to their customers without passing on the significant increase in bills, which they aren’t allowed to do.

The situation has, however, led to the UK Government and Ofgem (the energy regulator) increasing the Energy Price Cap that’s designed to protect households from increasing energy bills. Ofgem has stated that a further increase on the cap is expected in Spring 2022 and that households should prepare for at least a 50% increase on their energy costs compared with the last few years.

Previously, the advice has always been to switch energy supplier if householders aren’t happy with how much they pay for gas or electricity, but this has changed recently because there are no ‘deals’ or ‘new customer incentives’ available from energy companies due to the increased wholesale gas prices.

Customers are now being advised to stay with their current supplier until the market responds to these price increases. If an energy supplier ceases trading or is placed into special administration by Ofgem, its customers will also be advised to do nothing and wait while a new supplier is assigned to manage their account. In some cases, this may be Ofgem itself.

Councillor Josh Wilson, Chair of Housing and Technical Resources at South Lanarkshire Council, said: “This is a worrying time for all of us as far as fuel prices are concerned, and it is perfectly natural for householders to feel concerned.

“That’s why we are more than happy for anyone with any questions at all on their situation regarding their energy bills (or, in fact, on any financial matters in general) to contact our Money Matters Advice Service either online or by calling 0303 123 1003.”

In the meantime, householders can keep their costs down as much as possible through a range of simple measures.

Central heating should be set at 21°C (70°F) for the living room by adjusting the room thermostat if there is one or, if not, by using the individual radiator controls. If the room is too warm, don’t waste energy by opening windows, but turn down the heating instead.

Heavy curtains at the windows an keep the heat in and closing them as soon as it starts to go dark also helps, although it is wise to make sure the curtains are tucked behind any radiators at the windows.

Low-energy light bulbs are another effective measure as they use around 75-80% less energy than incandescent bulbs and last for approximately 8000 hours. LED bulbs are more expensive to buy but use 90% less energy than incandescent bulbs and can last up to 50,000 hours.

Other small changes that make a difference include not leaving appliances on standby, instead switching them off at the wall when not in use, and waiting for a full load to be available before using the washing machine or choose the economy or half-load setting if available. In either case, the shortest cycle that’s practical for the needs of the wash should be chosen.

Whether cooking is for Christmas dinner, festive socialising or everyday meals, when using an electric oven if should be turned off around ten minutes before the end of the cooking time as it will continue to cook at the same temperature, and always choose the correct sized saucepan for the amount of food you are cooking. Putting lids on pots will also help to reduce cooking time and therefore save energy. 

As well the help available from the council’s Money Matters Advice Service, free independent energy advice and support is also on offer from Home Energy Scotland by email or by calling 0808 808 2282.

Citizens Advice Bureaux are also a great source of assistance and locally they can be contacted as follows:

• Hamilton – email them or call 01698 283477
• Rutherglen and Cambuslang – email them or call 0141 646 3191
• East Kilbride – email them or call 01355 263698
• Clydesdale – email them or call 01555 664301

Councillor Wilson added: “While the home energy situation is stressful, it is important to remember that you are not alone: it is affecting us all, and there is help and advice available.

“I would encourage anyone with any concern, large or small, to contact ourselves or one of these other organisations – all are delighted to help out. Never feel that there is nothing you can do – there is always something that can help, and it’s far better to talk about it than keep it to yourself.”