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The Prime Minister Gordon Brown has revealed a series of plans to help people cope with rising gas and electricity bills:

"Today our objective is nothing less than a sea change in energy efficiency and consumption, at the same time as helping the most vulnerable families this winter."

Listen: Fuel Poverty Measures

BBC Leicester's Helen Astle went to find out more about the multi-million pound plan, and to see what people in Leicester think of it...

One person who is welcoming the new measures is Shabir Ahmed, a father of three from Stoneygate in Leicester.

He's already had his loft insulated, but he could benefit from having his windows, doors and walls insulated too.

Cutting bills in half

He says it would have a very positive effect on his bills:

"Just the mere fact that we insulated our roof, it halved already. So that would be a great help."

Shabir is sceptical about Gordon Brown's motivations though.

He believes that the fuel poverty measures could just be an election gimmick, and that there could be a catch that would mean ordinary people can't access the new funds easily.

Q&A with the Prime Minister

Other people in Leicester have questions about the multi-million pound measures too - here's what Gordon Brown had to say...

Q. Where is the money coming from?

"£910million is what we want the energy companies, including the generators, to pay - and we do not expect that to be passed on in prices to consumers."

Q. When's it going to happen?

"This winter"

Q. Can't you just give me a lump sum payment towards my bill?

Prime Minister Gordon Brown

"This is the right approach, giving priority to permanent, not just one-off changes, with the offer of lasting benefits in fairness to all families, cutting bills permanently every year."

Free insulation or cost reductions

The new measures will mean different people are entitled to different things:

• If you are a pensioner on benefits you could receive free cavity wall and loft insulation
• Other households could receive a 50 per cent reduction of the cost of installing insulation