Heat rises and so too is the cost of turning the heating on.

And with it the number of people struggling to pay their gas and electric bills in Glasgow is increasing at an alarming rate.

It’s not only heating, but also everything in your home that uses gas or electricity is going to cost more.

From boiling a kettle to charging your mobile phone, the cost per unit of electricity is going up.

READ MORE: Glasgow residents share money worries as cost of living bites

A household is considered to be in fuel poverty if it is spending more than 10% of its disposable income on its energy bills.

In Glasgow that has been one in four homes for a number of years.

But with the raising of the price cap and bills rocketing by more than 50% on average while incomes are not keeping pace the number of homes in fuel poverty is predicted to go up.

Energy Action Scotland maps the country and shows the number on each council area in fuel poverty.

It estimates that in Glasgow that 25% will rise to 37%, once the bills come in following the price cap being raised.

That means there will be 110,500 homes in the city where people are in fuel poor.

It is a 44% increase from the 76,750 under the previous 35% estimate.

The reason is the raising of the price cap imposed on energy companies by the regulator Ofgem

In April it goes up from an average of £1,277 a year, to £1,971 a year, a rise of 54%.

Energy Action Scotland’s, chief executive, Frazer Scott, has said: “Although moves by governments in Scotland and Westminster to alleviate these price rises are welcome, they go nowhere near far enough.”

People are facing the choice between turning their heating on or buying food.

The consequences of fuel poverty are starkly illustrated by World Health Organisation statistics that show, in winter, there are more than 2000 extra deaths due to cold and damp homes and one third are as a result of fuel poverty.

Mr Scott, added: “These deaths are avoidable but look set to rise as prices rocket.”

EAS has a list of tips to save energy and reduce the cost of bills at home.

T hey include suggestions for using appliances more economically.

1 Only switch the hot water on for the hours when hot water is needed. It is more expensive to leave it on all day. An hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon/evening is usually enough for most people’s needs.

2 The room thermostat on the central heating should be set at 21°C (70°F) for the living room. Do not waste energy by opening windows - turn down the room thermostat or individual radiator controls instead.

3 Do not leave appliances on standby but switch them off at the wall instead.

4 Wait until you have a full load before using your washing machine, or choose the economy or half-load setting if possible. Always choose the shortest cycle that’s practical for your needs.

5 When using an electric oven, turn it off about ten minutes before the end of cooking time – it will continue to cook at the same temperature.

They also suggested providing accurate meter readings before the price hike in April

EAS tweeted: “Remember to read your gas & electricity meters & submit readings on 31 March. Avoid paying higher charges by getting accurate bills. A 54% increase on unit charges looming 1 April. Put it in your diary, set reminders.”

While people on low income can get help with bills like rent and council tax there is no benefits scheme for rebates with gas or electric bills despite them being essential.

As a result people have ended up unable to pay bills and racking up debt to energy firms.

This can lead to higher tariffs and credit deducted from payments to pre-payment meters, leaving people running out of credit far sooner than normal.

Foodbanks noticed many people coming to them

There have been cases reported where people are asking for food that doesn’t require cooking as they can’t afford the electric.

Trussell Trust began operating a fuelbank service a number of years ago to give people help.

Foodbanks have been helping people with the cost of energy.

Trussel Trust found 95% of people referred to food banks in early 2020 were destitute, meaning they can’t afford the essentials like heating and food.