Multi-million-pound funding to support vulnerable households across East Lancashire has been announced by the region’s gas supplier.

Cadent Foundation, the charitable arm of Cadent Gas, has allocated £6 million to the Green Doctors scheme, run in partnership with North West group Groundwork.

The aim of the project is to offer more than 14,500 in-home consultations and support to the most vulnerable, offering guidance and advice about energy saving and referrals to local support services.

The case enables a programme titled Stay Warm, Stay Well to run for three years, and as well as in East Lancashire, people will be supported in the west of the county as well as the Midlands, East of England and parts of London.

A recent survey by Groundwork found 94 per cent of the households it has helped never use their central heating, with 85 per cent cutting back on food, or only eating cold food, to save money on fuel bills.

It comes as almost a third of people in the North West have said they are finding it difficult to cope financially due to the cost of living crisis.

One Green Doctor said: “We’re seeing people choosing between which bills to pay and whether to eat meals, and many don’t even consider putting on the heating.

“It’s heart-breaking and infuriating. The energy crisis is far from over – there are so many people and families in urgent need of help.”

Graham Duxbury, Groundwork’s UK chief executive, said: “This new funding from the Cadent Foundation couldn’t be coming at a more important time.

“Feedback from our Green Doctors is that they’re visiting an increasing number of people who are taking drastic measures to make ends meet – from skipping meals to living in permanently cold, damp homes – with many falling into debt.

“We’re also seeing more working people who are ineligible for government support but who still need advice on how to reduce their bills.

“We’re delighted that the Cadent Foundation is able to provide strategic, multi-year support for our Green Doctors, which will help us expand our service to more people and ensure we have a workforce able to meet growing demand.”

Julia Dwyer, director of the Cadent Foundation, added: “The impact from our initial partnership which began in 2020, has been incredible to witness, particularly as the work of energy advisors has been vital throughout the cost-of-living crisis.

“We’ve learnt a lot throughout the first phase, which supported more than 10,000 households, but being able to fund the training of local people, to advise and guide their own communities on energy efficiency and money management, is really powerful.

“We truly believe a solid knowledge of how to optimise the energy efficiency of a home, is the key to alleviating fuel poverty in the long-term and the next stage in our partnership will allow us to expand the programme even further, increasing our involvement and doubling the amount of funding to help even more families.”

Those needing advice are urged to visit the Stay Warm Stay Well section of the Groundwork website.