NEARLY a quarter of homes in Exeter are wasting heat, according to a aerial survey of the city.

The sky-high snapshot showed hundreds of homes were paying to heat the air outside.

The survey was done to find out how much heat individual homes and non-domestic premises in the city are losing.

Carried out on the evening of Friday, January 23 , it measured the amount of infra-red radiation being emitted from each property.

The information was processed to produce a colour-coded map of the city.

It showed that 22 per cent of properties have a high heat-loss value and so are of immediate priority in needing better insulation to reduce heat being wasted.

A further 67 per cent of properties have a medium level of heat loss and in many cases will also benefit from improved insulation.

Householders and building owners are now being encouraged to check that they have adequate loft insulation and, where appropriate, make sure that cavity walls are insulated.

Many of the city's prominent buildings fared well in the survey.

The Civic Centre was rated in the low heat loss category and County Hall was ranked in the lower end of the medium heat loss section, as was EDF's base.

Cllr Kevin Mitchell, Exeter City Council's lead councillor for environment and leisure, said: "There are a significant number of households in the city that are paying higher fuel bills than necessary due to poor insulation and we hope that the results of the survey will encourage them to insulate their property.

"There are a range of grants available for loft and cavity wall insulation for people on all incomes, including, for a limited period of time, free insulation for Exeter residents over 65 and for households on low incomes.

"In the current financial climate this can be a real help to householders by reducing fuel bills by up to £365 a year."

People can find out how much heat their property is losing at www.exeter.gov. uk/heatlosssurvey or by telephoning 01392 265669.

The heat loss survey is one of five projects receiving funding through Exeter's climate change parking levy which was established last year to fund projects that reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the city.

The survey is being launched as part of the Exeter Big Switch Off campaign which runs until Saturday, to encourage residents, businesses and schools to save energy and cut energy bills.