A 153 per cent hike in the cost of gas and 30 per cent for electricity will leave Falkirk Council once again looking for cuts to balance its budget.
Although prices rises for gas and electricity had been factored in to February's budget for this year, the scale of the increases mean Falkirk is now facing a £1.4million overspend on energy alone.
However, members of Falkirk Council's executive heard this was just one of the pressures on council services as the costs for contractors and suppliers are also starting to soar. Read more: Falkirk Council agrees to speed up £2 million spend on electric vehicles The council could also be facing a bigger bill than anticipated for staffing costs.
Falkirk had budgeted for an increase of 2.5 per cent in pay - but that has already been soundly rejected by trade unions and council waste workers are now on strike.The Scottish Government has promised £140 million to help councils foot the bill of a wage increase but that would only cover a 3.5 per cent rise, leaving councils to meet the rest.
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