A DISTRICT council has teamed up with an energy company to help its tenants heat their homes more affordably and efficiently.

Wear Valley District Council joined forces with npower to replace coal heating systems in more than 100 properties with gas central heating.

The new boilers will help tenants to reduce their heating costs, keep homes warmer and protect the environment through a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions.

More than £57,000 from npower's Energy Efficiency Commitment (EEC) programme, supported by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs as part of the Government's Climate Change scheme to encourage fuel suppliers to save energy, has helped to fund the project.

Peter O'Neill, energy services project liaison officer for npower, said: "We are pleased to be working in partnership with Wear Valley District Council to help achieve these energy efficiency measures.

"Having full gas central heating can make a massive difference in the home, both in heating costs and comfort level, and it helps the environment too.

"It is great to see that Wear Valley have recognised this and have taken steps to address the problem."