People across Norfolk affected by fuel poverty could be helped by a multimillion pound scheme to tackle the problem.

The county will receive more than £3m from the National Grid's Warm Homes fund which will be used to help 1,000 people heat their homes and stay warm in winter.

Broadland district councillor John Fisher said: 'I am absolutely delighted we've successfully secured more than £3m to help thousands of homes out of fuel poverty.

'Fuel poverty is a significant issue for many people in Norfolk and our new Warm Homes fund will make a real difference to the lives of residents currently living in cold and damp homes, by keeping them warm and well.'

The scheme, Norfolk's Warm Homes fund, is led by Broadland district council and will receive £3.1m over the next two years.

The district council will work alongside 12 supporting organisations to help those who are ill, caring for relatives, or otherwise at risk from the cold.

The scheme will install central heating systems for houses without them,

It aims to help a total of 1,000 people, from tenants to landlords, with practical support and advice.

Jeremy Nesbitt, managing director of Affordable Warmth Solutions, which administers the fund on behalf of the National Grid, said: 'We are pleased to support Broadland District Council's ambitious programme.

'It will have a really positive impact for the people of Norfolk.'

The national Warm Homes Fund is worth £150m and was set up after the sale of the National Grid's majority stake in its gas distribution business.

It provides funding to install affordable heating in households struggling with fuel poverty.

A separate campaign on the issue of fuel poverty is Surviving Winter, run by the Norfolk Community Foundation (NCF) in partnership with Age UK and Norwich Foodbank.

The campaign funds winter fuel bills for elderly people who struggle to afford to heat their homes during the winter months.

In 2016, readers of this paper and its sister titles raised almost £50,000 for the Surviving Winter Appeal.

Since it was launched in 2011, 1,310 grants totalling more than £217,000 have been issued to people who need help with their energy bills.