If you’re over 60 and live in North Lanarkshire, you will receive a £10 Christmas gift from North Lanarkshire Council – and advice on how to keep warm through the winter and be ‘green’.

The council’s cash offices will be open on three Saturday mornings for residents to collect their £10 gift and a free energy efficiency goody bag, sponsored by Scottish Power and Lanarkshire Community Energy Partnership.

The bag contains a low energy light bulb as well as tips on how to make your home more energy efficient and help keep your bills down. The partnership is offering a free assessment of your home and advice on ways of making it more energy efficient. The partnership’s energy assessors can also provide information about grants available for this type of work.

And there’s an opportunity to enter a free prize draw to win one of ten fridge freezers and one of 100 kettles.

Residents are asked to note that the goody bags are only available on the three Saturdays and to collect the £10 Christmas gift, residents must bring two forms of id, showing their address and age. This could be items such as a household bill, passport, birth certificate, driving licence, council tax bill, bus pass or heating allowance notice.

Councillor John Pentland, Convener of the Policy and Resources (Finance) Sub-Committee, said:

"I am delighted to be able to invite all our residents who are over 60 to collect their £10 Christmas gift from the council. North Lanarkshire is one of the few councils who give this annual gift, and I hope that people will take the opportunity to call into one of our cash collection offices to accept their gift. I would like to take this opportunity to wish our residents a very happy Christmas.

"This year we’re also giving people information about how thinking ‘green’ can make their own home warmer and keep their fuel bills down. Households will be offered a free assessment of their home to identify ways where energy efficiency can help reduce fuel bills. For example, by taking simple steps to install draught proofing around doors and windows, you could reduce your heating costs by £50 or laying insulation material in your loft can prevent £100 of heating costs escaping through your roof. There are a range of grants available to help with the costs of energy efficiency measures like these, and the partnership’s energy assessors will be able to advise on eligibility.

"So I hope that residents will take up this practical offer and see how they can make their homes warmer and cheaper to hear during the winter."

Lanarkshire Community Energy Partnership was formed by North and South Lanarkshire Councils and Scottish Power to advise residents on tackling fuel poverty, improving energy efficiency and reducing energy costs.

The council’s cash collection offices will be open on Saturday 18 and 25 November and 2 December between 9.30am and 2.00pm to collect the £10 gift and goody bag. These offices are located at:

26 Motherwell Road, Bellshill

69/71 Merry Street, Motherwell

135 Burnhead Street, Viewpark

236 Main Street, Wishaw

162 Station Road, Shotts

10 Bank Street, Airdrie

195 Main Street, Coatbridge

2/4 Forth Walk, Cumbernauld

Parkfoot Street, Kilsyth

Blackwoods Crescent, Moodiesburn

The goody bags are only available for collection with your Christmas gift on Saturdays 18 and 25 November and 2 December. One goody bag is available per household.

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