Eleven organisations from across Dorset have united to help the estimated 102,000 households in the county living in fuel poverty.
They were brought together by gas distribution network SGN at its Safe & Warm Partnership Network event to share what has been working well and highlight opportunities for further development.
The organisations and charities support a wide range of people such as families with young children, those with acute health conditions, the bereaved and terminally ill, and carers.
They included local councils, the health sector and social housing providers alongside Citizens Advice, Cruse Bereavement, Dorset Fire and Rescue Service and Home-Start Wessex.
Research from National Energy Action shows that 5.6m households in England are living in fuel poverty, driven by energy efficiency challenges, energy costs and household income.
Nearly half of low-income households are living in hard to heat homes with the rate of improving homes to an acceptable standard said to be well below what is needed to lift people out of fuel poverty by a target date of 2030.
The event also launched a new partnership with Ridgewater Energy, providing 1,200 home visits to Dorset households to offer practical ways to reduce energy costs and increase energy efficiency.
The new service will also help eligible households sign up to the Priority Services Register, deliver energy workshops, distribute carbon monoxide (CO) alarms and offer energy crisis support by providing heated throw blankets, winter warmth packs and water saving devices.
Kerry Potter, Group Social Impact and Vulnerability Manager at SGN, said: “Bringing together our regional partners plays a vital role in supporting vulnerable customers in their own homes – it enables opportunities for shared learning, networking, collaboration and exploring ways of joined up working, so we’re delighted to have hosted so many of our partners in Dorset.”