CLEOBURY Mortimer's MP is urging residents to make the most of assistance to get ready for winter available through the Home Heat Helpline.

The helpline, which offers free, impartial advice to people on low incomes who are worried about their energy costs and staying warm during winter, connects people to services and helps them reduce their energy bills.

Conservative MP Philip Dunne said: “Forecasters are predicting a cold winter ahead and many people who are elderly or on low incomes may not know where to turn for help and advice on keeping their homes warm.

“Research from the Home Heat Helpline suggests 3,000 households in the Ludlow constituency are eligible for assistance from their energy supplier with heating their homes, while 3.6 million households across Great Britain qualify for help.

“The best way for people in Shropshire to prepare is to act now and call the Home Heat Helpline on 0800 33 66 99 to see if you are eligible for assistance.”

Households that qualify include low-income pensioners, disadvantaged families with children or those with a disability or any household that lives in one of the most deprived areas in the country.

Support includes insulation and boilers, with many elderly and low-income families qualifying for the £135 Warm Home Discount on energy bills.

It is funded by Britain’s major energy suppliers and last winter assisted more than 42,000 people across Britain with about £250 energy savings per household.