FACTBOX-Details of the package

LONDON (Reuters) - The government has announced a 1 billion pound, three-year package which it says will enable households to take advantage of help that could save them over 300 pounds a year on their energy bills.

Here are the main features:

-- Legislation will be proposed to require an estimated 910 million-pound commitment from energy companies including, for the first time, electricity generating companies, to invest in making homes more energy-efficient. This will be in addition to the existing obligation on companies to spend 2.8 billion pounds over the next three years helping customers save energy.

-- Cold Weather Payments to be increased from 8.50 to 25 pounds per week for winter 2008/09.

-- An extra 74 million pounds to be spent over the next two years on the government's Warm Front scheme. Around 40,000 households could see their fuel bills come down by 180 per year on average, as a result. The scheme offers up to 2,700 pounds worth of central heating and energy efficiency measures to low income and pensioner households.

Already announced in this year's Budget:

-- For this winter, households with someone over 60 will receive an extra 50 pounds on their Winter Fuel Payment with an extra 100 pounds for over-80s households.

-- Around 600,000 customers' accounts could benefit from discounted tariffs by the end of the year and around three quarters of these will be benefiting from a price freeze this winter.

-- A pledge that if analysis shows pre-payment users face unjustifiably high charges and no solution is offered by the energy suppliers and the regulator, the government will consult on legislation to reduce any unjustified tariff differentials.