PEOPLE in Hartlepool are being given the chance to make their homes warmer and cheaper to run thanks to a new energy-saving scheme.

Hartlepool Borough Council has teamed up with energy efficiency survey firm Leicester Energy Alliance to help people in the town save money.

The project, called Hartwarmers, will start with a door-to-door survey of private homes to identify how householders can improve energy efficiency. There will be a maildrop to homes telling people about the survey.

They will then receive a report from the Tees and Durham Energy Advice Centre giving energy-saving tips.

If the householder then wants to go ahead with improvements, a surveyor will visit and look at improvements such as cavity wall and loft insulation.

Homeowners can then receive up to 70 per cent off the cost of insulation, as well as lower prices on energy-efficient boilers.

Peter Morgan, the council's energy conservation officer, said: "It is estimated that, on average, each household wastes £200 a year on energy in the home, which means more than £7m could be wasted in Hartlepool every year."

To join the scheme, call Mr Morgan on (01429) 523364.