FACTBOX-Britain announces energy efficiency package

LONDON, Sept 11 (Reuters) - Prime Minister Gordon Brown on Thursday announced a long-awaited package of measures to help British householders struggling with soaring fuel bills, but ruled out a windfall taxe on excess energy company profits.

Here are the main points from the announcement: *Brown announced a one billion pounds package, which he said could save householders more than 300 pounds every year on energy bills. *Government decides not to impose "windfall tax" on utility company profits. *Energy companies, including for the first time power generators, to provide an extra 910 million pounds to householders to help pay for energy efficiency measures, in addition to existing obligation on companies to spend 2.8 billion pounds over next three years. Extra funding could benefit up to 2 million households. *Package to contribute to government aim of insulating all British homes, where practical, by 2020. *About 560 million pounds of the 910 million to go to existing Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) energy efficiency programme. Remaining 350 million pounds to go towards new Community Energy Saving programme, under which councils, energy firms and voluntary organisations to offer help to householders in some of Britain's most deprived areas. *Government to increase Cold Weather Payments from 8.50 pounds to 25 pounds per week for winter 2008/9. *Government to inject extra 74 million pounds during next two years into its Warm Front Scheme, which offers up to 2,700 pounds worth of central heating and energy efficiency measures to low income households and pensioners. About 40,000 households could see fuel bills fall by 180 pounds on average.

The government said the measures would be in addition to measures already announced in the latest Budget, which included: *For this winter, households with someone over 60 will receive an extra 50 pounds on their Winter Fuel Payment, up from 200 pounds to 250 pounds, with an extra 100 pounds for households with people aged over 80, up from 300 pounds to 400. *About 600,000 customer accounts could benefit from discounted tariffs by the end of the year and around 75 percent of the 600,000 will benefit from a price freeze this winter, provided people contact their suppliers and check they are eligible for such schemes. *If analysis shows that pre-payment users face unjustifiably high charges and the energy suppliers or the regulator fail to offer a solution, the government will consult on legislation to reduce any unjustified tariff differentials. (Reporting by Phil Waller, editing by Michael Urquhart)