An energy advice service for Scots hailed as “life-changing” is to be extended for another two years. The Safe and Warm Advice Service (SAWAS), a partnership between Citizens Advice Scotland and gas supplier SGN, will now also be extended into three Scots hospitals in a bid to help vulnerable and hard-to-reach groups.
The support from SGN will help Citizens Advice Bureaus (CABs) across the country provide urgent advice to Scots on their energy bills. An initial two-year scheme is just coming to an end, which enabled Scottish CABs to provide bespoke energy advice to nearly 7500 people, delivering them a total of £1.1 million in financial gains such as through reduced bills, energy savings, or debt write-offs.
It also saw the CAB network recruit and train an additional nine full-time energy advisers across central and southern Scotland, and train more than 150 CAB advisers on the dangers of carbon monoxide. The renewed scheme now hopes to support 9000 households over the next two years and recruit three more advisers. The service will also be available in three hospitals: Ninewells in Dundee and Stobhill and the New Victoria hospitals in Glasgow.
Jonathan Watt of Citizens Advice Scotland said: “With higher levels of fuel poverty impacting on households, Citizens Advice Scotland very much values our partnership with SGN through the Safe and Warm Advice Service. This project which commenced in April 2022 has continued to evolve to meet the needs of citizens and SGN’s consumers as they struggle against the impact of the energy crisis, increasing fuel costs and associated energy debt.”
Maureen McIntosh, SGN’s Director of Customer Services, said: “We’re delighted to be renewing our partnership with Citizens Advice Scotland to provide this essential energy support and safeguarding service to households and being able to extend it to hospitals in Dundee and Glasgow. Citizens Advice Scotland is seeing first-hand the impact the cost of living crisis is having on those with families struggling to afford to maintain a safe and warm home. Through their specialist local energy advice teams, they’ll support households ahead of winter to use energy safely, efficiently, and affordably.”
A key part of the SAWAS project has been raising awareness of the dangers of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning, known as the “silent killer” because it’s invisible and has no smell. The gas can leak from any carbon-based appliance and be fatal. Over the last two years, SAWAS has provided nearly 700 CO monitors to people in homes thought to be vulnerable to gas leakage.
The extension of the scheme aims to continue providing much-needed assistance to households in Scotland, with a focus on ensuring safe and affordable energy usage. This initiative underscores the importance of partnerships between organisations and businesses to address critical issues such as fuel poverty and energy efficiency, ultimately making a positive impact on the lives of many individuals and families.