MORE that a fifth of people north of the border are “worried or anxious” about energy debt this winter, according to Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS).

The charity has warned that more than 360,000 of Scotland’s people — 22 per cent of the adult population — live in fear of falling into debt as the cost of heating their homes rises due to the withdrawal of government subsidies and the Ofgem price cap being lifted.

The charity has seen a 34 per cent increase in people asking for advice on energy debt in the last 12 months, while the average energy debt of those seeking help has jumped by almost £500 to £2,307.