EST Claim Saving Money Will Be Key to Cutting Carbon

When it comes to encouraging people to make green home improvements, the key is to show homeowners how it will help them cut down on their energy bills, an expert has claimed.

Head of knowledge services for the Energy Saving Trust, Dr Paula Owen, has said that around £8 billion worth of energy is wasted from our homes each year simply down to factors such as poor insulation, heating systems that are badly controlled, or using electricity unnecessarily.

Dr Owen put things into perspective by adding: “This is enough to give every man, woman and child in the UK £125 a year”.

In a recent survey, over three quarters of consumers said that they would be encouraged to cut their carbon emissions if they achieved lower energy bills.

Dr Owen has given a number of green home improvement examples that would help to achieve this. This includes what she terms ‘basic measures’ such as replacing old windows with double glazing, and getting loft insulation. Both of these would greatly reduce how much heat is lost from the home, cutting down on heating bills.

She also spoke of more advanced measures such as installing renewable energy sources, which homeowners seem more apprehensive of. The good news is that there are a number of grants available to help people afford these changes.

Latest figures from the Department of Energy and Climate change show that carbon emissions from residential property in the UK rose by 3.2 percent in 2008.