A council worker from South Lanarkshire has scooped up a national award for tackling fuel poverty.
Money adviser Joe McMonagle, who is head of South Lanarkshire Council’s Money Matters Advice Service, was honoured at Energy Action Scotland’s annual Fuel Poverty Heroes Awards. The award was presented at their annual conference in Glasgow.
The Money Matters team offers free and confidential support that helps locals get the benefits they are entitled to and help them manage any debt.
In the past financial year, the service has dealt with £410,768 of debt of which £127,124 they managed to get written off.
The team also helps with energy arrears, gas and electricity top up vouchers, debt advice including mortgage and rent arrears and dealing with creditors, benefits advice and overall budgeting.
Energy Action Scotland’s chief executive, Frazer Scott, said: “Joe and his team are to be commended for keeping the service going throughout the period of the pandemic when demand on the service soared.
"This demand has not reduced but increased, as we have seen unprecedented energy rises and general cost of living increases.
“Through the efforts of Joe and his team some of the most vulnerable people in South Lanarkshire have been protected from the worst of these increases.”
Energy Action Scotland's annual awards are an opportunity for the national organisation, which campaigns to raise awareness of fuel poverty and lobby the Scottish Government to make positive changes, to recognise those across Scotland that have made significant impacts combating fuel poverty.
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