A STRATEGY to tackle fuel poverty in Pendle and help people improve the energy efficiency of their homes has been launched by Pendle Council.

One in four households in Pendle are believed to suffer from fuel poverty -- where more than 10 per cent of a household's disposable income is spent on trying to keep members of the household warm.

The council has worked with numerous public and private sector organisations during the last 12 months to produce an Affordable Warmth Strategy which aims to eliminate the problem in the borough within the next 10 years.

Eighty projects are featured within the strategy which aims to assist the estimated 9,000 households in Pendle suffering from fuel poverty to move out of the condition.

Stephen Whittaker, the council's Energy Efficiency Officer, said: "Unfortunately fuel poverty can be a vicious circle, particularly among the old and infirm, the long-term unemployed or single parent families.

"These people spend more time at home and therefore need to heat their houses more but may often be on lower incomes.

"They therefore end up spending more of their incomes on simply trying to keep warm.

"This strategy aims to assist such people to keep warm in very practical ways, such as offering advice regarding grants to improve the energy efficiency of their homes through insulation or by installing better heating systems."

The five key aims of the strategy are to:

Ensure that energy efficiency advice and information reaches members of the community most vulnerable to fuel poverty.

Encourage all households to take advantage of the availability of energy efficiency improvements and the competitive fuel supply market.

Promote energy efficiency awareness, and support the attainment of affordable warmth in all rented accommodation.

Promote energy conservation and efficiency among all owner occupiers.

Eliminate fuel poverty amongst council tenants by raising the thermal efficiency of the housing stock.

Councillor Azhar Ali, leader of Pendle Council, said: "A considerable amount of consultation has taken place with relevant organisations such as the NHS, residents, tenants, energy companies, Help The Aged and Age Concern, in order to produce this Strategy.

"Pendle Council is committed to eliminating fuel poverty in Pendle within the ten years.

"There is no reason why anybody in our community should struggle to keep warm.

"We want to tackle this issue in a focused and determined way, which is what the Strategy was designed and implemented to do."

The Affordable Warmth Strategy was launched at the Silverman Hall, Nelson, by Chief Executive Stephen Barnes and Coun Ali, and attended by organisations involved in consultation and production.