THOUSANDS of people in Weymouth and Portland are struggling with the cost of fuel, according to a report to be put before councillors tomorrow.

Around 3,900 households – 13 per cent – in the borough have been recognised as living in fuel poverty, the report states.

And the majority are low earners, the elderly and the disabled.

The report was compiled after councillors voiced concern about the number of people in fuel poverty in Weymouth and Portland and requested regular updates on action being taken to address the issue.

In the report, director of communities Kate Ryan states that a project to target the most poorly insulated properties in the borough and direct funding from energy companies will not be continued due to poor take-up.

She states: “Much greater outputs from the initiative had been anticipated and, while it is evident that the Dorset Energy Advice Centre (DEAC) did all within their powers to target funding at the most poorly insulated properties within the borough, continual changes to the ECO scheme meant that there were fewer referrals than had been anticipated.”

She added: “Given that the scheme did not deliver the volume of improvements that had been anticipated there are no plans to continue with the initiative into a second year.”

Cllr Francis Drake, briefholder for social inclusion, asked if enough is being done to protect vulnerable people in Weymouth and Portland from fuel poverty.

He said: “I quite believe the statistics, and in fact I’m surprised it does not affect more people.

“It is something that people worry about.

“You hear stories of pensioners sitting inside in their coats because they cannot afford to heat their homes.

“I think most houses across Weymouth and Portland are protected in one way or another, which stops major improvements such as double glazing, and people end up not being able to afford heating.”

He added: “I do not think we are doing enough to help them.”

The definition of a household in fuel poverty in the report is one which spends more than 10 per cent of income on fuel costs.

Using this definition, 3,900 occupied dwellings in the borough are in fuel poverty.

More than half – 53 per cent – of these have incomes of less than £10,000 per year, 30 per cent are aged over 75 and 19.1 per cent have a disability.

The report states: “This clearly indicates that those groups often associated with vulnerability were more likely to be facing fuel poverty.”

It will be discussed by councillors at a meeting of the Weym-outh and Portland Borough Council scrutiny and performance committee, which meets tomorrow at the council offices at North Quay.