Derek Mitchell on a new campaign: worried this winter? Let’s chat

We heard a lot recently about financial pressures and difficult decisions during the Scottish budget.

Let’s be clear though, those experiencing the toughest financial pressures and most difficult decisions every day are people like those the Citizens Advice network supports across Scotland.  

With Christmas just a few weeks away, some people might be thinking about last minute stocking fillers. But for thousands of others, they’re thinking about meeting the most basic and essential needs. They are worried about keeping their homes warm and how to put food on the table.  

That’s why we want anyone worried about energy bills and how they’ll afford the essentials to know that we’re here to help.  

To raise awareness of the free, impartial support that’s available and break down the stigma of asking for help, we’ve launched our new campaign, Worried this winter? Let’s chat. Running from now until February 2025, we want to reflect the real experiences of people impacted by rising energy costs.  

To do this, we’ve been working closely with five CABs across Scotland to run local focus groups and learn first-hand about people’s experiences.  

From feelings of embarrassment and anxiety to dread and misery, the picture was clear: more needs to be done to support communities worried about the cost of energy this winter.  

Across our network, support on energy debt is one of the most common reasons people walk through their local CAB doors. But taking that first step can be daunting. We want people to know there’s no need to feel embarrassed and that our advisors are here to help, not judge.  

To get our message across, we worked with Scottish poet Kevin McLean to create a poem on the experiences of households with energy debt. With a focus on the emotions and feelings experienced, the poem will be used to encourage more people to get advice whether they are currently in debt or struggling to keep up with payments.  

While this campaign is just a small step towards breaking down the barriers to support, we need to highlight the stark reality many people face this winter. If this is you or someone you know, please know the Citizens Advice network is here to help.  

We are known for the advice we give to hundreds of thousands of people every year but we also have a responsibility to raise awareness and advocate for structural change. And we’ll continue to do all we can to ensure systematic change so we can continue to deliver life-changing outcomes for people across Scotland.  

While we’re proud of our new campaign, don’t just take our word for it, listen here now. 

Derek Mitchell is chief executive of  Citizens Advice Scotland.

This column was first published in the Herald www.theherald.co.uk.