New Green Homes Strategy Launched by Government

The government has recently launched a new scheme that is aimed at supporting eco friendly upgrades for seven million homes across the country, helping to create 65,000 jobs for plumbers, builders and advisers across the next decade.

Energy and climate change secretary, Ed Miliband, spoke of the new scheme – the Warm Home, Green Homes Strategy – at the Ecobuild exhibition in Birmingham. Miliband stated that these plans will help to pave the way for new ‘pay as you save’ schemes that will provide loans at a low cost, to help homeowners meet the cost of making their homes more energy efficient.

Upgrades to improve energy efficiency of homes include installing insulation, double glazing in windows, and replacing energy efficient boilers. These will leave homes naturally warmer and cheaper to run in terms of energy bills.

It is also hoped that the scheme will create new partnerships between local authorities and energy suppliers, meaning that energy companies will be required to do more to help households become more energy efficient. It will also help to protect householders against ‘cowboy eco-builders’.

Miliband added that the plan will create 65,000 jobs across the next ten years, including those who carry out the work as well as those who advise homeowners on how their property could be improved.

The latest figures from the Department for Energy and Climate Change stated that carbon emissions across the country rose by 3.2 percent in 2008, equating to 2.5 million tonnes.