Energy bills were among the topics of conversation at one Norwich home when city resident Jean Short received a visit from the Energy and Climate Change Secretary.

Ed Davey and Norwich South Liberal Democrat MP Simon Wright went to see 73-year-old Ms Short at her home in Pettus Road on Saturday, where Mr Davey suggested Ms Short could compare energy suppliers in order to save money on her bills and also highlighted other ways the government aimed to help people deal with high fuel costs.

Mr Davey, the MP for Kingston and Surbiton, said: 'As a Liberal Democrat I am extremely worried about the impact of high electricity and gas bills on people, particularly the most vulnerable in society and that's why we are doing everything we can to help.

'Whether it is helping people with money directly off their bills or by giving them more choice and competition or by helping them save energy through energy efficiency.

'These are the ways we can deliver the most help in the quickest way.'

When asked why he thought Norfolk had the highest level of fuel poverty in East Anglia, he said it was potentially because it was quite a rural county with many people off the gas grid and consequently often having to use more expensive energy sources.

Earlier in the afternoon Mr Davey had also visited renewable energy firm Ren Energy, in Blofield Heath, and toured some renewable energy installations there.

The visit aimed to highlight the importance of the renewable energy industry and it came shortly after it was announced that 500,000 homes in Britain have now been installed with solar panels.

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