Pensioners in Kent are going to struggle with soaring winter fuel bills despite the measures announced by the Government.

The charity, Help the Aged, has criticised the package unveiled by the Prime Minister Gordon Brown as not going far enough to tackle the fuel poverty crisis facing households across Kent and the rest of the country.

The Government says £910 million will be raised from the energy industry through cost-saving initiatives to help households cut their bills by more than £300 a year.

The elderly and low-income households will benefit from free loft insulation as part of the raft of measures and other home improvements such as new boilers, double glazing and lightbulbs.

Mr Brown insists that the energy companies do not pass the cost of these proposals onto the customers by raising bills.

But Paul Bates, Help the Aged spokesman for Kent, says these measures are not adequate in the long-term.

He said: "The money will only go part of the way towards solving the fuel poverty crisis.

"Many pensioners in Kent are going to really worry about whether or not they will able to keep their homes warm during the winter months.

"Unfortunately this package does not answer those questions, which does not include any crisis payments."

~ Listen: Mr Bates comments on what the Government should do >>>

EDF Energy, which supplies just under 700,000 households in Kent, stressed that it would be committed to taking responsibility to deliver its share of the burden.

A EDF Energy spokesman said: "Delivering these measures will not be easy.

"The responsibility to reduce energy waste and thereby lower energy bills is one we share with the Government, regulator, communities and individual consumers.

"We must all play our part in this effort."

Gillian Charlesworth, director of external affairs, from the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, agrees that more needs to be done, especially to make homes more energy efficient.

She said: "The extra £910 million that the energy companies are coming up with, whilst welcome, is still tiny compared to the scale of the problem - the UK housing stock is still amongst the least efficient in Europe. RICS would like to see the government support progressively increase over time so that more and more people can improve the energy efficiency of their homes."