More than one-third of people in Scotland cannot afford their energy bills.

A new survey by Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) reveals almost 80% cited rising energy costs as a reason that find their bills ‘unaffordable’.

The survey of 1,011 people also suggests nearly 65% of those polled said the rising cost of living was a problem.

Meanwhile, 40% said low incomes was an underlying problem, with 24% stating their home being hard to heat was a factor.

The charity warns of a ‘perfect storm’ this winter as a consequence of rising energy bills, an unstable energy market with many suppliers’ exits and falling incomes for people on Universal Credit.

CAS Fair Markets spokesperson Kate Morrison said: “The fact that one in three people find their energy bills unaffordable is unacceptable, and what this research shows is that the underlying reasons can be varied and complex.

“The crisis in the energy market also means that some routes to lower bills simply aren’t available. For example, switching supplier will likely just lead people to a higher tariff.”

Three months ago, a Citizens Advice research predicted that customers could see their energy bills rise by £6.70 a week, an estimated £30 a month as a result of the collapses in the energy market.