Helensburgh and Lomond's MSP has warned residents across the area are missing out on support for their energy usage - and urged them to take action before it’s too late.

Labour’s Jackie Baillie says people on prepayment meters must claim their £400 cost of living support vouchers before the deadline on June 30 and called on the Scottish and UK governments to do more to help people who are struggling.

It's believed that more than half a million pounds has yet to be claimed by those entitled to the help.

Latest figures show that 8,150 local households are still to claim the support they are entitled to through the Energy Bill Support Scheme.

The Energy Bill Support Scheme gave every household a £400 discount on their energy bills for winter 2022 to 2023.

In total, £537,900 worth of support in Argyll and Bute has gone unclaimed and the deputy leader of Scottish Labour pleaded with locals to act quickly.

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If you have a traditional prepayment meter, you’ll automatically get the discount each month as either redeemable vouchers, sent by text, email or post or an automatic credit when you top up at your usual top-up point.

These vouchers are designed to provide bill support for those on non-digital pre-payment meters.

However, the deadline for redeeming them is the end of this month and many have gone unclaimed.

Ms Baillie said: “Bills are soaring and it is vital that people can get the support to which they are entitled.

“Anyone with a voucher they haven’t used needs to redeem it by June 30 so they don’t miss out.

“We urgently need more action from both the UK and the Scottish governments to help people through this cost of living crisis, and to ensure everyone can get what they are entitled to.”

Vouchers were sent out to households with non-digital pre-payment meters by post, email or text message. Anyone whose voucher hasn’t arrived, or is lost or expired can ask their supplier for a new one to be issued.