The Northern Echo issues a challenge to schools across the region today - harness the power of the Internet and get your electricity bill paid for a year.

The paper has joined forces with Northern Electric to offer youngsters the chance to win enough cash to pay their school's power bill by using the World Wide Web to help the environment.

Peter Barron, editor of The Northern Echo, said: "We all know how much the Internet is shaping people's lives and this will be the perfect opportunity to use it for the good of the environment.

"As well as getting the chance the find out more about the environment and the Internet, youngsters will also be able to save £5,000 on the fuel bill and individuals will get a £500 cash prize to share."

The challenge has won the backing of Prime Minister Tony Blair.

He said: "This is an imaginative and worthwhile project that successfully brings together the interests of our children in our environment and computers.

"I hope as many schools as possible take part and I am certain, given the computer skills our children now have, that the standard of entries will be very high."

Projects can be as global or as local as each school wants.

For instance, a litter-pick or new school garden project could be given its own web presence, just as easily as a link to an African village or another overseas project.

Entries will be judged by a panel of four, who will look for the best use of the Internet to produce an environmental report. They will also look at the way the project is covered online.

Julian Kenyon, public affairs manager for Northern Electric, said: "The competition offers a challenging opportunity for young people to use the excitement of the Internet to produce an environmental report, by combining the skills of online publishing with environmental awareness."