The decision aims to replicate a similar arrangement, announced two years ago, which has just come to an end.

Over the last two years, the partnership has enabled Scottish CABs to recruit and train an additional nine full-time energy advisers across central and southern Scotland and support outreach initiatives. The new project – the Safe and Warm Advice Service (SAWAS) - provided bespoke energy advice to nearly 7,500 people, delivering a total of around £1.1 million to them in client financial gains (i.e. through cheaper bills, energy savings or debt write-offs). Additionally, over 150 CAB advisers were trained and are now able to provide information on the dangers of Carbon Monoxide.

As it is now up and running and has no set-up costs, SAWAS hopes to support 9,000 households over the next two years. The partnership will provide an additional 3 advisers who will help to achieve the target of supporting the most vulnerable and hard-to-reach groups. One exciting new development is that the service will now be available at three major hospitals: Ninewells Hospital in Dundee, and Stobhill and the New Victoria hospitals in Glasgow.

Alongside the project, CAS produced a report that highlights the challenges people in Scotland face around keeping their homes safe and warm to help SGN understand where to direct our Safe and Warm service to reach those most in need. The Cost of Keeping Warm: Lived Experience of Energy and Vulnerability in Scotland Pilot is based on interviews with CAB advisers and clients about lived experiences of fuel poverty and shows the complex causes of fuel poverty for people in vulnerable situations.

Announcing the new expansion of the partnership, 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 are 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.”

Citizens Advice Scotland, Jonathan Watt, director of National Funded Services, added: “With higher levels of fuel poverty impacting on households, Citizens Advice Scotland very much values our partnership with SGN through the Safe and Warm 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.

“This continued support from SGN is a testament to the life-changing energy advice that our Citizens Advice Bureau are able to provide. The decision is a vote of confidence in how well SAWAS has worked, and we are very keen to expand on the great work that has been done so far with these new initiatives.”

A particular aspect of SAWAS over the last two years, which will continue for the next two, is that it aims to raise awareness of the dangers of Carbon Monoxide (CO) poisoning. Known as the ‘silent killer’ because it’s invisible and has no smell CO can leak from any carbon-based appliance and can 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.