Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has announced a £1 million boiler fund to tackle fuel poverty.

Londoners who struggle to afford to heat their homes will be able to use a share of the fund to replace or repair inefficient or broken boilers.

It is expected to help around 500 fuel poor homeowners reduce their annual energy bills by around £150 and save up to 310 tonnes of carbon emissions a year.

The mayor’s office claims the initiative called ‘Better Boilers’ is the first ever pan-London scheme of its kind to help those in the capital living in fuel poverty.

It is said to affect more than one million Londoners, including around 300,000 children.

Official figures reveal the number of households unable to afford to heat their homes increased by 26% between 2012 and 2014 to more than 348,000 homes.

Mr Khan said: “It is shocking that more than a million Londoners live in fuel poverty. In a great city such as ours, people should not have to choose whether to heat their homes or buy food.

“I am committed to making our capital a city for all Londoners and part of that means people being able to heat their homes and live in comfort as well as breathe cleaner air. This scheme is another step towards achieving that.”