Saving the carbon pennies

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Published: 13 November 2006

Saving the carbon pennies

New Government analysis has revealed that millions of tonnes of carbon and billions of pounds in fuel bills could be saved by simple measures like cavity wall insulation.

The initial report from the Review of the Sustainability of Existing Buildings shows that millions of homes across the country could benefit from cost effective improvements, with widespread implementation thought to save around 7MtC (million tonnes of carbon) a year.

The Government is now looking at ways to give householders the information & support they need to make changes to their homes, and have highlighted the potential of Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) as one possible method.

The certificates, to be introduced next year, will be linked to green mortgages or schemes such as the council tax rebates offered by some councils funded by energy companies.

Minister for Housing and Planning, Yvette Cooper, has also suggested that the need for more homes across the country would give the chance to develop new energy efficient technologies which can be exported worldwide (Though surely more houses means more carbon emissions?)

Yvette Cooper said:

"This research suggests our existing homes and buildings could offer some of the most cost effective ways to cut our national emissions over the next few years. After all, many of the measures needed to cut carbon from our homes also help cut our fuel bills as well.

New housing should be seized on as an opportunity to increase environmental standards rather than as a threat.

The sheer scale of new building is an opportunity to raise standards, to develop and implement new technologies and reap the benefits of economies of scale.

"To make the difference we need by 2050 we will need radical changes to the way we heat and power our existing homes as well as new ones.

We need to develop the technology to support our Victorian terraces and sixties tower blocks as well as our modern new homes."

The review shows:

· Implementing measures with the fastest pay back and replacing boilers over time could save 7MtC a year and make householders better off

· Cavity wall insulation has increased from 20% of our housing stock in 1996 to 36% in 2003

· The number of homes with over 150mm of loft insulation increased by 4 million between 2001 and 2004

· A further 8.5m homes could benefit from cavity wall insulation saving 2.1MtC a year

· Cavity wall insulation typically costs £340 to fit and pays for itself within 2.6 years. (Over a 5 year period householders would get a 200% return on their investment). In practice, these costs and the payback period can be reduced through grants and subsidies, with some householders, on qualifying benefits, being eligible for free installation

· Increasing loft insulation could help 6.1m homes and deliver carbon savings of 1.2m a year. Pay back time for loft insulation is 2.7 years and householders get a 180% return over 5 years. Again grants & subsidies are available

· Reaching the 60% target by 2050 will require high take up of microgeneration including emerging technologies such as heat pumps and micro CHP (combined heat and power);

· Research suggests that costs of low and zero carbon technologies could be reduced significantly for each doubling of installed capacity

· Social housing is on average more energy efficient than private housing.

Further information:

Review of the Sustainability of Existing Buildings: the Energy Efficiency of Dwellings - Initial Analysis

Energy Saving Trust

Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)

Sustainable Homes

Consultation Paper: Proposals for Introducing a Code for Sustainable Homes

Related Articles:

Incentives to improve Home Energy Ratings

Compulsory energy rating for homes

Making Money from Sustainable Homes