By Lucy Ashton
West Dunbartonshire and South Argyll are in line for 42 hours of heavy rain with the Met Office warning up to a 10cm could fall in some places.
Yellow weather warnings have been issued for Perth and Kinross, Stirling, Argyll and Bute, and the Highlands as wet weather sweeps across the country.
West Dunbartonshire is right on the border of Stirlingshire and Argyll and Bute – it extends from Helensburgh north towards Oban – and overspill is expected in some areas.
The warning comes into force at 6pm on Sunday, December 15 and will last until 12pm on Tuesday, December 17.
Forecasters say rain “will become persistent across parts of western Scotland during Sunday” and continue through Monday, December 16 before finally easing on Tuesday.
Residents in the warning area are being encouraged to check if their property is at risk of flooding as prepare a flood plan and an emergency flood kit. Travellers should check ahead while households should “consider gathering torches and batteries, a mobile phone power pack and other essential items”.
Sepa has yet to issue any flood warnings but that could change over the coming hours. According to WXCharts, strong winds are also expected through the period with winds of up to 25mph and gusts of up to 40mph.
Meanwhile, a survey commissioned by British Gas on behalf of British Gas Energy Trust indicates 42 per cent of people are worried about meeting the cost of gas and electricity bills this winter, with over a third of respondents saying they are already struggling to keep up with their bills.
However, people may be able to get help through the British Gas Energy Trust which currently has two energy support funds open for those with debt on credit or pre-payment meter accounts.
The Individuals and Families Fund provides up to £1,700 in energy debt grants to British Gas and non-British Gas customers, while the Energy Support Fund offers energy debt grants up to £2,000 to British Gas customers only. In 2023/24, the Trust was able to support over 5,300 households with more than £7.8 million in energy debt grants.
Ofgem recently announced a 1.2 per cent increase to the energy price cap from January 1, 2025. This increase means a typical annual bill now will rise to £1,738, a sum that 9m fuel poor households across Great Britain will struggle to afford.
Chief Executive Officer of the Trust Jessica Taplin said: “Some 45 per cent of people have never sought help when struggling to manage energy bills. Add to this the recent energy price cap increase announcement, and the rising cost of living, and a growing number of individuals- many of whom may have previously been able to manage their expenses- are likely to experience fuel poverty.
“One of the most important steps for anyone struggling with their energy bills is to reach out to their energy supplier. Many energy companies provide customer service teams specifically dedicated to supporting vulnerable customers, and these teams can offer a variety of solutions.”
Ms Taplin added: “In addition to contacting your energy supplier, it’s also a good idea to check your eligibility for external support. The Trust’s support funds may be able to assist further, and we encourage every household to apply if they qualify or to share this information with friends and family, as no one should have to navigate these challenging times alone.”
Support available from British Gas Energy Trust
- Debt Relief Grants – Provides eligible households with grants of up to £2,000 to clear energy debt.
- Emergency Small Grants – Fuel vouchers provided through our community support programme and trusted partners for immediate energy needs.
- Community Support Programme – Funds over 41 charities across Britain, including Citizens Advice offices, to deliver budget planning, benefits guidance and energy efficiency advice.
- White Goods Programme – Essential appliances are available to qualifying households through our community support programme.
Over the past year, the Trust has granted over £16 million in energy debt relief and an additional £2 million in emergency fuel vouchers to support households facing financial difficulties.
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants must meet the following criteria to qualify for the Energy Support Fund:
- Be a British Gas customer living in Scotland, England or Wales
- Have energy debt between £50 – £2,000 on a prepayment meter or £250 – £2,000 on a credit account
- Be experiencing or at risk of fuel poverty
- Have received assistance from a money advice agency in the last 6 months
- Have not received a grant from the Trust in the past 12 months
https://abcnews.go.com/US/executive-hit-lists-wanted-posters-nypd-warns-threats/story?id=116662519
A most interesting development across the pond in the mythical land of the free where Americans are free to buy as much health care as the need.
With some 70 million Americans with no insurance and another hundred or so million covered by insurance that they cannot afford the situation gets even worse as the huge corporate profiteers make ever attempt to reject claims when people need health care most.
And so, without care all too many poor wretches die without treatment. A situation all to extent across America. So no wonder that the alleged killer of the fat cat United Health Care boss has become a hero to tens if not hundreds of millions of Americans. Not of course that you would read about it here lest the concept might catch on.
But in a country like America absolutely saturated with guns it does seem to be catching on with posters going up with details if the top corporate medical insurance bosses details and salaries. Defend, deny and destroy being the message the US appears a country ready to boil.
Of course the Americans have the right to bear arms precisely because the constitution was changed to allow citizens to maintain arms lest the British come back to recolonise them. They called it the Boston Tea Party but it wasn’t any tea party but rather a military insurrection.
But Britain knows all about military insurrections as nation after nation booted them account across the Empire and its colonies. India, Keny
And ditto the French Revolution, or the Bolshevik revolution against the Tsars. Across and around the world the worm ultimately turns against unfairness. Could it happen here, is there already hatred against the big corporates who make fortunes whilst people struggle to heat their homes, being one contemporary example.
Its a scary thought but not something that is utterly without possibility. Millions struggling to heat their homes in a country blessed with gas, oil, hydro and wind power. It like the famine in Ireland when the colonial masters shipped out food to Britain whilst the people starved.
Fairness and democracy has to be at the heart of any country. We should all remember that. And by all, I mean all.
https://abcnews.go.com/US/executive-hit-lists-wanted-posters-nypd-warns-threats/story?id=116662519