Rural households are more vulnerable to the current energy crisis and fuel poverty due to lower wages, poorly insulated buildings and a heavy reliance on cars. However, there are some communities that are finding ways to take power into their own hands - literally.

Ellie Harrison heads to Bethesda, a village in rural north west Wales built around former slate quarries and the River Ogwen that is now home to a growing community of energy self-sufficiency. With hydro pumps, solar panels, e-transport, energy wardens and repurposed buildings, this local community has found a way not only to try and survive this crisis but ultimately thrive. Ellie visits a community warm space in the Ogwen Valley where locals are reducing their fuel bills through communal dining and shared transport. It's a model village for renewable and sustainable energy alternatives, run by and for the locals, that could potentially be rolled out across rural Britain.

Tom Heap investigates whether the UK is bankrolling climate change. The energy crisis and a war in Europe has renewed the debate on the UK's energy security, with the government now incentivising energy companies to invest in new fossil fuel projects in the North Sea - despite the fact that the UK is supposed to be reducing its carbon emissions and moving over to clean energy. Adam Henson provides an update on how the avian flu epidemic is impacting poultry farmers. Chef Romy Gill meets a 10-year-old in north Wales who is passionate about baking with home-grown produce.

Margherita Taylor is in Auchindrain, a fascinating and perfectly preserved example of a Scottish Highland farm township to discover the roots and traditions surrounding New Year and Burns' Night. She discovers how tough life was and why Christmas was once illegal in Scotland. And she delves into the Countryfile archive to celebrate other seasonal customs, revisiting the time Ellie Harrison embraced Coorie and when John Craven learned about the ancient tradition of Gaelic psalm singing.