As the return of sub-zero conditions created hazardous conditions on the roads and for drivers and pedestrians alike, Citizens Advice Scotland said people have turned to drastic measures such as skipping meals and living, sleeping and eating in a single room to cut their fuel bills.
It warned that more people risk being dragged into fuel poverty this Christmas as they struggle to cope with the “double whammy” of excessively cold weather and unusually high fuel charges.
Chief executive Lucy McTernan said: “One-third of Scots are now officially living in fuel poverty and that is completely unacceptable.
“Advisers across Scotland have reported to us that many people are so worried about their fuel bills that they are going without food in order to keep the heating on.
“Others are planning to spend the Christmas holiday period living more or less in one room, so they don’t have to pay to heat the whole house.
“We’re hearing of too many vulnerable people – including pensioners, sick people and families with young children – who are sitting shivering in their homes this Christmas. Many of them are suffering adverse health problems as a result.”
Four of the biggest six energy suppliers, who provide around 97% of British domestic energy, have increased their prices this winter, prompting criticism from Consumer Focus and Ofgem.
Ms McTernan called on the Scottish Government to work with energy companies and come up with a long-term strategy to tackle fuel poverty, as well as short-term measures to help people who are struggling now.
She added: “There is a particular ‘double whammy’ in operation at the moment.
“The recent rises in gas and electricity charges for consumers have been particularly high, while the cold weather we saw last week was unusually bad, even for this time of year, and of course it is predicted to return again over the holiday period.”
Across the country yesterday, there were a number of road accidents, including one that claimed the life of a 60-year-old motorist from Inverness, after fresh blizzards and ice.
Police reported a series of accidents elsewhere on Grampian’s roads after cars skidded into fields during heavy snowfall and conditions in Aberdeen were treacherous
In the Borders, a double decker bus carrying 20 passengers skidded off the road during a blizzard shortly after 9am. One woman was treated for shock.
Freezing temperatures and fresh snow closed all schools in Shetland and a number in the Western Isles.
A handful of flights were delayed or diverted at Aberdeen airport, while ScotRail cancelled its Inverness to Wick and Thurso services and three others in the Strathclyde area were suspended.
While the Central Belt looks set to miss the worst of the winter weather again today, severe weather warnings for icy roads remain in place throughout Scotland with temperatures expected to plunge to minus five degrees celsius in Strathclyde overnight, and remain close to freezing today.
A Met Office spokeswoman said: “There are signficant risks for later in the weekend, because the air over Scotland will remain extremely cold. So we could still see some disruption for central Scotland.”
Weather affects deliveries
The return of the cold snap will mean further bad news for mail parcel services as they attempt to deal with the backlog of undelivered mail following last week’s freeze.
Asda, Sainbury’s and Tesco announced on Monday they were no longer accepting orders for delivery in the country and tomorrow is online retailer Amazon’s deadline for Christmas orders if customers pay extra for first-class post.
Four million parcels remain in depots across the country as private carriers battle to overcome the bottleneck in the system caused by the snow and ice. Royal Mail announced yesterday it was planning thousands of extra deliveries this Sunday – including 1500 in Scotland – to help clear the backlog of undelivered cards and packages.
Mark Higson, managing director of Royal Mail, said: “We are planning up to 7000 delivery rounds this Sunday as we continue our drive to deliver items as quickly as possible.
“We will continue to do everything in our power to deliver as quickly as possible.”
A four-day extension to the relaxation of EU drivers’ hours rules has been agreed for Scotland. It means lorry drivers can spend 10 hours, rather than the EU limit of nine, driving in a bid to combat supply problems.
