COUNCIL bosses have been handed an Olympic challenge to get residents to insulate their homes.

The call is being made by Winchester Action on Climate Change (Winacc).

To coincide with the current Olympic Games in Beijing, the group wants to see all homes in the district insulated before the next games in London in 2012.

Winacc's convenor, Robert Hutchison, said: "It is time to go for gold' on climate change.

"A concerted campaign on home insulation should be a win, win win' for Winchester, resulting in warmer homes, reduced carbon emissions, and energy bills not rising as fast as they otherwise would.

"Every loft or cavity wall that is properly insulated results in major cuts in CO2 emissions and significant savings in energy bills.

"If carried through with urgency and determination, such a concerted campaign could make the lives of many people more comfortable, while also making a significant impact on Winchester's CO2 emissions."

Mr Hutchison added that council figures suggested that 66 per cent of privately owned homes in the district had no loft insulation, or less than the minimum recommended 20cm (8in) thickness.

Winacc wants the city council to work with it along with voluntary groups, tenants' and residents' associations, and utility companies, to make Winchester's housing stock greener.

The city council said it was already working with community groups, including Winacc, to promote energy efficiency.

Bob Merrett, the city's corporate director (policy), said the authority was already working with community groups as well as its own housing stock on the subject.

All 5,000 properties are due to be insulated by spring 2009, one year ahead of Government targets.

Mr Merrett said: "There's currently no power we can use to forcibly insulate people's (private) houses, but we will be doing all we can to encourage people to take action."

He added that the council would also try to alert low income groups-such as the elderly - who might qualify for free insulation.