AN energy supplier based in Worcester is to invest £3m to help people with serious health problems caused by living in cold, damp homes - including those across the border in Herefordshire.

The funding will extend npower's Health Through Warmth scheme for a further three years and will benefit vulnerable and unwell people - mainly children and the elderly - who suffer during the winter months.

Elaine Midwinter, Health Through Warmth manager, said: "It is totally unacceptable that more than 30,000 people in the UK die from cold and damp related illnesses every winter.

"To put this in perspective, that is more than three times the number in colder countries such as Sweden, Norway, and Denmark and almost 10 times more than road traffic fatalities in the UK.

"The Health Through Warmth scheme is a long-term solution, it makes homes warm for both current and future inhabitants by improving energy efficiency."

"It also accesses grants that may be available to supplement income. We are delighted to announce we can continue to help people for a further three years."

The company is working in partnership with the NHS and national Energy Action, which trains community workers, including nurses, health visitors, occupational therapists, police and firemen, to spot signs of ill-health caused by living in poor conditions.

These community workers refer cases to the Health Through Warmth team, who tap in to grants to ensure homes are both properly heated and insulated.

Where there are no grants available, npower funds the costs through its dedicated crisis fund.

Since its launch in October 2001, the initiative has trained more than 500 community workers in Herefordshire.

This has led to £200,000 worth of grants and the npower crisis fund alone has funded more than £28,000 worth of measures to improve heating conditions in homes across the county.