ONE of the region's most remote youth hostels has been hailed as a beacon for energy efficiency.

Langdon Beck Youth Hostel, in upper Teesdale, County Durham, has been praised by Transco's Northern Energy Initiative (TNEI) for cutting its energy consumption by more than 20 per cent.

The hostel, which attracts many people who use the Pennine Way each year, has introduced a series of initiatives to reduce energy use, including renewable sources.

Solar panels have already been installed at the hostel and plans are under way to build a small wind turbine on the site.

The hostel's efforts have been recognised with a Transco TNEI Energy Efficiency Award, a regional scheme launched last year to encourage better use of energy in the region.

Ewan Boyd, manager of the youth hostel, said: "We have been able to make significant cuts in our energy usage and, given our location, that's some achievement.

"As a result Langdon Beck is now an exemplar hostel in the Youth Hostel Association and we are being used as a model for the organisation nationally."