Households in North of St Ives, Cornwall are celebrating the launch of an energy saving scheme run by the Cornwall Sustainable Energy Partnership (CSEP).

Free home improvements and energy saving advice are being offered to over one thousand households in the Ayr and Penbeagle areas of St Ives under the new energy efficiency scheme.

The project will soon be extended, possibly to the whole of Cornwall, and has already inspired the London Energy Partnership, which used CSEP as a model.

The project was set up to make homes warmer, healthier, greener and cheaper to run. The scheme will provide householders with energy efficiency improvements to their homes as well as help and advice from a range of charities.

Funded by a raft of organisations including the Single Regeneration Budget (SWRDA), the National Lottery New Opportunities SEED programme and the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund, the launch program starts tomorrow 17th April with a fun day event at the Leisure Centre, Trenwith Burrows, St Ives. The event runs from 11am until 2pm and entertainment will be provided to keep children occupied.

The Minister for Energy Stephen Timms MP will officially launch the strategy on 21st July.

Alec Rice, from Cornwall Energy Efficiency Advice Centre, said: "St Ives may seem an idyllic place to live, yet many people in the town are living in cold, damp, energy inefficient homes which are not good for their health or the health of the planet."

"This project will help to improve their quality of life and reduce the greenhouse gases responsible for Climate Change."