Householders in the city are facing up to the reality of huge increases in their bills throughout the autumn and winter months and are now turning to energy-saving devices to try to counter the price rises.
Improved insulation and revolutionary micro-generation technology, such as solar panels and mini-wind turbines, are being introduced in hundreds of homes throughout the city.
York Council has been inundated with hundreds of requests from householders who are keen to establish if they are entitled to grants to help pay for the energy-
saving technology to be installed.
The city council is drawing up a strategy to target its own tenants as well as private householders to drive down the carbon emissions created by heating and which are blamed for causing global warming.
The plans are also aimed at reducing fuel poverty, where households spend at least 10 per cent of their disposable income on heating the property, by introducing more energy efficiency to drive down the cost of bills.
Coun Madeleine Kirk (Lib Dem, Strensall) is the chairwoman of the council's scrutiny management committee, which debated the proposed strategy last night.
She said: "It is such an important issue, and we need to get the message out there to people that this technology is available to them and it doesn't cost as much as they might
think.
"In some ways it is sad that people have been driven to adopt the technology simply because of rising bills, but at least something is happening.
"It is gradually getting into people's consciousness that we need to do something about global warming."
The Yorkshire and Humberside region is the second poorest nationally in terms of fuel poverty.
The Clifton and Westfield wards in York itself are in the bottom 10 per cent nationally for fuel poverty, with almost one-third of all homes falling into the category.
A survey is being conducted to establish which households in the city have yet to take advantage of grants that are available from organisations including the Energy Efficiency Advice Centre and the Eaga Group.
The Yorkshire Post revealed last month that York Council had drawn up plans to promote sustainable living to ensure the city's residents are at the forefront of eco-friendly lifestyles in the 21st century.
The council has developed its own "green bible" which outlines the environmentally-friendly policies which will help shape future development and living in the historic city.
Proposals are aimed at giving the council more control over planned construction in York to ensure developers incorporate the latest eco-friendly devices and energy-saving techniques in the new buildings.
But existing homes are now also being targeted
as the council looks to exploit the need to save money by installing energy efficient devices in households amid the rising cost of bills.
Energy suppliers including npower, Powergen and British Gas have announced a series of increases – some as high as almost 20 per cent – which have been blamed on escalating industry costs.
The House of Commons has debated plans to encourage the use of micro-generation technology, which involves devices such as small wind turbines on roofs and solar panels being installed on individual homes.
The technology is already in use across the globe in countries such as Japan, Canada, Austria and Sweden, but environmentalists say Britain is lagging behind.
paul.jeeves@ypn.co.uk