PEOPLE in East Lancashire are being urged to take advantage of a £4 billion scheme aimed at battling fuel poverty.

The Energy Companies Obligation (ECO) scheme was introduced in a bid to reduce the UK’s energy consumption, and to support people living in fuel poverty.

People living across East Lancashire are eligible to apply for energy efficiency improvements, such as boiler replacements or repairs, and insulation.

Residents may be able to get help with improvements if they are on certain benefits and own or privately rent their homes.

Hyndburn councillors voted last week to promote the scheme to its residents because it ‘wants to help eligible households maximise the take up of ECO measures.’ The news came as temperatures plummeted to just below freezing for the first time this autumn, with many drivers clearing frost from their windscreens yesterday morning.

Deputy leader of Hyndburn Council, Coun Clare Pritchard said: “Energy prices are soaring and seem to be out of control, so we are looking at ways people can keep their bills down.

“We have a lot of people in fuel poverty in Hyndburn and it has a knock-on effect on the economy. Residents should absolutely have a look at what they can do.”

A Burnley Council spokesman said: “The council is currently talking to a number of different organisations to see how we can maximise the benefits of ECO funding for the residents of Burnley.

“The council also runs a heating rebate scheme that assists qualifying households with the cost of installing modern, fuel efficient heating systems.”

Sayyed Osman, director of environment, housing and neighbourhoods at Blackburn with Darwen Council, said: “We are working in partnership with leading energy providers to actively promote ECO street by street. Those residents who qualify for the scheme can receive a free boiler and cavity wall insulation.”

The ECO scheme, funded by energy companies, is expected to spend £1.3 billion a year on improvements until March 2015.

Check if you’re eligible

To be eligible, residents must own or privately rent their home, and have the owner’s permission to do the work.

They must also get one of the following benefits:

Pension credit; 
Child tax credit (and an income of £15,860 or less); 
Working tax credit (and an income of £15,860 or less), plus one of the extra conditions below;
Income support, plus one of the extra conditions below;
Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, plus one of the extra conditions below; or
Income-related employment and support allowance, plus the support or work-related element, plus one of the extra conditions below.

Extra conditions:
A resident is responsible for a child under 16 (or 20 if they’re in education or training);
A resident receives either a disabled child premium, disability premium, or a pensioner premium; or
A resident is 60 or over.

To apply, call 0300 123 1234 from Monday to Friday between 9am and 8pm, or Saturday between 10am and 2pm.