'Winter warmth' packs to be given to the elderly in Teesside this winter
Age UK says there is free support
A Teesside charity says there is free support for the elderly this winter to try and reduce their energy bill cost.
Age UK say they also work in partnership with the Fire Service when they visit homes as part of their 'safe and well' scheme.
Anne Sykes, Chief Executive of Age UK Teesside, said: "We get funded to talk to older people, get an assessment on what their conditions are like with heating and money, and then we can also send somebody out who can install things like draft excluders, radiator foils and the devices that help them monitor what energy they're using.
"We supply older people who are struggling with the cold with a 'winter warmth' pack. It includes a hot water bottle, a flask, thermal scarf, gloves, hat, a thermometer and a blanket.
"Last year between October and December, we gave out over 1,000 packs which are free to them. We're doing that again because we have in the past at Christmas sort of given people a nice hamper, but we feel that the gift of warmth is more important.
"When the Fire Service go and do a normal fire safety check in people's homes, they'll ask them a number of questions about being lonely and things like that, and if the older person agrees for them to share their details with us, then we'll give them a call and see what we can do to improve their lifestyle."