SUPPORT is being given to vulnerable people who are struggling with their energy bills this winter.

Cotswold District Citizens Advice Bureau is running the Energy Best Deal programme, which is funded by the energy industry and enables a local adviser to give talks to local groups and organisations to help people on low incomes cut their fuel bills.

Additional help is available to give one to one advice to help people cut the cost of fuel bills, sort out debts and solve benefit problems.

Figures released by the Citizens Advice say that thirty eight per cent of people told the the charity that before getting help from the programme, which runs annually, they could not heat their homes enough to be comfortable.

Sally Pickering, chief officer of local charity Cotswold District Citizens Advice Bureau said: “Noone should have to face a winter in a cold, dark home. Vulnerable people are risking their well-being because they are anxious about bills. Many people feel like they have no choice but to cut their energy use if they need to reduce their bills, but there is other action you can take. That’s why we’re running Energy Best Deal to make sure that people aren’t paying a penny more than they need to for fuel this winter.”

Last year three quarters of people took action to cut their bills after attending a workshop on reducing energy bills.

Out of people attending workshop, forty three per cent said that they had contacted their supplier to get a better deal, 27 per cent applied for help through energy saving schemes such and Warm Homes Discount and Green Deal and 28 per cent said they would pass on their knowledge to help friends and family save.

For assistance running a workshop to help cut energy bills contact Denise Stride at Citizens Advice by emailing her at denise.stride@stroudcab.org.uk