7 things you should do before turning the heating on

Nearly half a million households across Scotland will receive a one-off payment of £59.75 next month to help cover the costs of higher energy bills over the coming months. A total of 465,510 Winter Heating Payments - worth £27.3 million - were issued by the Scottish Government last year.

The Winter Heating Payment is only available in Scotland and has replaced the £25 Cold Weather Payment delivered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Unlike the DWP benefit, it is not dependent on a sustained period of cold weather in a specific location (seven days) but is an annual, one-off payment made no matter the temperature.

The devolved benefit is issued automatically by Social Security Scotland to people who get certain low-inco

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