HUNDREDS of deaths in Dorset could be prevented if people lived in warmer homes, a charity has warned.

Figures reveal that there were 280 excess winter deaths in the county during 2013/14, and the high number of people living in cold, poorly insulated homes was a strong contributing factor.

And figures for last winter 2014/15 show a significant rise in preventable deaths, with 5,100 recorded in the South West.

A spokesperson for OFTEC, the trade body for oil heating, said this suggests that the figure for 2014/15 in Dorset will be considerably higher than the previous year.

OFTEC has teamed up with charity Age UK to produce a guide to keeping warm this winter.

People are advised to keep the main living room heated to a temperature of at least 21 degrees, to adjust the timers on the thermostat as the weather changes and to bleed the radiators to ensure the heating system is running efficiently.

Excess winter deaths are largely a result of people living in cold homes over the winter months.

Rural parts of the county are disproportionally affected because houses are typically older with poorer insulation.

The shocking figures also highlight that 41,000 of the deaths in England and Wales last winter were people aged 65 or over, the highest level for 15 years.

Malcolm Farrow, of OFTEC, said: “Christmas is a very busy, and expensive, time of year and many households risk their health by turning down their heating to save money. Fortunately, the 18,000 homes in Dorset heated by oil are seeing the lowest oil prices in six years which means they can afford to keep their heating on for longer, unlike users of LPG and electric storage heaters who have higher energy bills.

“Last year’s excess winter death figures were not helped by an ineffective flu vaccine, which shows there is still much more that needs to be done to keep vulnerable people warm and well this winter.

To help, we have produced a free advice booklet with Age UK.”

For more information and to download the free booklet, visit www.oilsave.org.uk