Stirling residents warned against setting indoor fires to beat energy bills crisis this winter

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Struggling Stirling residents are being urged not to resort to desperate measures – including using camping stoves and barbecues INDOORS – to keep soaring energy bills down this winter.MSP Evelyn Tweed has joined the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) in calling on people driven to use candles and burning wood to light and heat their homes to take care.She told how she is concerned about those using alternative heating and lighting methods to try to keep energy bills down this winter following a warning from the fire service.It comes as SFRS Deputy Assistant Chief Officer Alastair Perry, Head of Prevention and Protection, said they are anticipating a change in behaviours at home as people try to cope with rising costs.People are said to be turning to alternative energy sources like wood-burning, candles and electric blankets.SFRS warned they could ‘inadvertently’ put themselves in danger of accidental fires and carbon monoxide poisoning.Ms Tweed echoed those calls for people in Stirling to take extra care if they need to use alternative energy sources over the winter.Click here for more news and sport from the Stirling area.She said: “Thousands of people will be in a desperate situation this winter due to the Tory cost-of-living crisis, being forced to turn to alternative ways of heating their homes.“In a country as rich as the UK, people should not have to feel forced to turn to wood-burning to heat their homes or candles for light.“However, if anyone is forced to use these methods, I would urge them to do so with extra caution as these can present an additional fire hazard in the home.“With so many people facing difficulties in trying keep warm this winter, I encourage everyone across Stirling to be extra vigilant