A government initiative to help homes install insulation needs to receive better promotion, according to green campaigners.

The WWF urged the government to work better to communicate the incentives which it is offering households to get insulation installed.

In September, prime minister Gordon Brown launched the Home Energy Savings Programme offering all homes either free or half price insulation.

The initiative was designed to help counter rising fuel costs as well as reduce carbon emissions, but has not received enough promotion, according to WWF's senior campaigns officer for transport.

Lucy Bertenshaw said: "An area in where they can improve is communicating properly. There might be financial incentives but if no-one knows about them then people won't take them up. That is one of the big challenges; to get people to know more about these deals."

According to the Energy Efficiency Partnership for homes, £6.8 billion is wasted on energy every year, with heat leaking due to poor draught proofing or lack of insulation among the reasons for this.