Fife Council has revealed the impact of soaring energy costs on services as it defends a 5% rise in council tax next year.
Its fleet of bin lorries cost almost £200,000 more to run last year compared to 2021-22, as bills jumped by 12%.
And the cost of heating and lighting the region’s schools also spiralled.
Meanwhile, materials used to maintain roads soared by a massive 45%.
Residents living in band D properties will have to shell out £1385.18 in council tax next year – an extra £65.96 – after the increase was agreed by councillors this week.
Other bands will increase proportionally.
The Labour administration blamed the move on rampant inflation, saying it was pushing up the cost of running all vital services.
SNP leader David Alexander claimed the increase was unjustified, with many people already struggling to pay rising household bills.
But the local authority has now released examples of how energy costs are affecting its budget.
‘Nobody likes paying bigger bills but budgets are squeezed’
The cost of emptying Fife’s bins rocketed by £194,010 last year.
Each bin lorry cost £6,467 more to run and there are 30 lorries.
Meanwhile the cost of heating one Fife high school almost doubled in a year with the gas bill soaring from less than £150,000 to nearly £300,000.
And electricity costs across all 169 schools are expected to increase by a whopping 59% next year.
Administration leader David Ross said: “Nobody likes paying bigger bills.
“But Fife Council is affected by increasing inflation rates just like households and businesses.
“Our energy bills and service costs are soaring, while more and more people are turning to us for help.
“Inevitably, our budgets are squeezed.”
Increase needed to avoid service cuts and job losses
Mr Ross added: “We’ve tried to limit increases in rent and council tax as far as possible.
“But an increase is necessary to avoid damaging service reductions and job losses.”
Unlike several other councils, including Dundee, Fife has not had to cut services this year.
Mr Ross says that would not have been possible without a 5% council tax rise,” he said,
“Next year we would have had to cut twice as much money from our services or put up council tax twice as high.”
Fife’s SNP group had proposed limiting the council tax rise to 3% and making up the shortfall by using the authority’s reserve budget.
Mr Alexander said: “There is absolutely no need for a 5% rise in council tax when inflation and the cost of living are biting as hard as they are,”
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