Pensioners in fuel poverty may be contacted directly and offered help under Government plans to reform data protection laws, it has been announced.

It is one of a series of measures being unveiled to help vulnerable and elderly people with their fuel bills.

The proposals will see people helped to improve their energy efficiency, cut costs and make sure they are on the best value tariff with for gas and electricity.

But the plan has been criticised as a mere "reshuffling" of old ideas that did not go far enough to alleviate fuel poverty.

A household can be said to be in fuel poverty when it pays more than 10% of its income on energy bills.

Among the measures announced is a plan to tell energy companies which people are struggling most so they can be offered assistance.

Energy minister Malcolm Wicks said he appreciated the matter would have to be dealt with "sensitively", but it was important to help people as bills continue to rise.

"One of the best ways to tackle fuel poverty is to make sure the heat, and the fuel that is used as it's so costly, keeps people warm and doesn't go out the window," he told BBC Radio 4.

"The problem has been that because of data protection laws we haven't always been able to say to the electricity or gas company 'This is the person that needs that help', so we're taking measures ... to reform the Pensions Bill that's going through Parliament at the moment so that we can cut through some of these data protection issues."

Mr Wicks said people would be approached by their energy companies and offered the assistance.

"We have to do that sensitively because none of us like personal data being spread around the place willy-nilly, so we're discussing that with people like Help The Aged to make sure that we get that right, but I think its sensible to get that new power for us to focus the help that's available," he said.

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