I am determined that people who work hard in Hartlepool won’t be left alone to face the high energy bills that are the result of the global rises in energy prices over the past few months.

So I’m writing to let you know about the £1 billion of extra assistance that the Labour Government announced this week to help with fuel bills this winter. I’ll be supporting this package with my vote in Parliament later this year, backing a new obligation on energy companies that will require them to do more to improve people’s insulation and cut bills in Hartlepool, and I want to make sure that you found out about what this means for you.

From Thursday 11 September:

• Every household in Hartlepool is eligible for at least 50% off loft and cavity wall insulation;
• Everyone on certain benefits and all pensioners can get these for free;
• And cold weather payments for the most vulnerable will be increased from £8.50 to £25 a week.

To find out more and get insulated, you just need to call this number: 0800 512 012, and ask what help is available to you.

This is really worth doing: by improving loft insulation you can reduce bills by around £100 a year, and by getting cavity wall insulation put in you can reduce bills by another £150, not just this year but every year. The faster you get it done, the more you’ll save!

I’m supporting this package because I want practical help for families that will cut bills year on year. We’ll introduce it whether the Tories object to it or not – because Labour is committed to giving people practical help that will make a difference, not just relying on soundbites and PR. And it will also mean that we cut carbon emissions too, which is good for climate change and good for the planet.

I mentioned in this column a month or so ago that the main topic of discussion when I was going round residents’ group this summer has been the rising price of gas and electricity. Since that column, the nights are drawing in fast, and it very clear that the summer has now come to an end, although it seems to have been a ‘blink and you miss it’ summer.

In my last column on this subject, I’d mentioned how I was attracted to the idea of helping people cut fuel bills by improving their energy efficiency and even by investing in renewable energy technology. The Government has provided a huge amount of money in this – something like £1 billion a year – but people say to me that they don’t want the hassle, they don’t know where to turn for advice and they think it is going to cost a lot of money before they start seeing any feedback.

There are a range of products that are available to help people cut their fuel bills. Warmfront is a government-funded scheme which provides grants of up to £2,700 to make people’s homes warmer, healthier and more energy efficient. The scheme is managed by Eaga plc in the North East.

I was at Elmtree Park in Seaton Carew a couple of weeks ago to celebrate the completion of their move from gas canister bottles to mainline gas, and was told that almost £5 million has been spent through Warmfront in Hartlepool. This is good, but I am sure Hartlepool could spend more. Through Warmfront, people could receive such improvements as loft insulation, draughtproofing, cavity wall insulation and hot water tank insulation, as well as improvements to your gas, electric or oil central heating, repairs to existing heating or converting a solid fuel open fire to a glass-fronted fire.

Residents can contact my constituency office or ring Warmfront on 0800 377 7755 for more information.

The Government has introduced the Carbon Emission Reduction Target (CERT), which means that energy companies with a certain number of customers operating in this country have to achieve targets for improving home energy efficiency. The suppliers are therefore obliged to provide a range of offers which should help to reduce the cost of installing energy efficiency measures. These offers could include such things as providing a good deal for loft and wall insulation or providing assistance for increasing the amount of energy generated from renewable technologies, such as wind turbines, solar panels and ground source heat pumps. I understand that, as a directive as part of CERT, customers can take up offers from any of the energy companies, regardless of which one supplies your gas and electricity.

The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform has also provided funding for the Low Carbon Buildings Programme. The programme provides grants for the installation of microgeneration technologies in a range of buildings, including homes and community buildings.

Householders can apply for grants of up to £2,500 per property towards the cost of installing a certified product by a certified installer. This scheme has been extended across the country until 2010 for applications, but applications are being administered and approved on a first-come-first-served basis.

The Energy Saving Trust’s advice line (0800 512 012) is available for guidance and support on energy efficiency measures and energy efficiency grants available in the area. Further information is available at the website for the Low Carbon Buildings Programme (www.lowcarbonbuildings.org.uk) and the Energy Saving Trust (www.energysavingtrust.org.uk).

I am keen to provide information, so please contact me if you are interested. I hope you take on board some of the grants so that you can start to cut down on energy bills this winter.