Eco-improvements reap dividends in long term

Friday, 23 November 2007 12:00 AM

Eco-improvements reward investment with energy savings in the long term, according to new research from Alliance & Leicester.

While it can cost homeowners over £9,000 to make the average three-bedroom, semi-detached property carbon neutral, the cost will reap dividends through savings on electricity and gas bills, as well as helping the environment.

"Becoming carbon neutral will not happen overnight. Nowadays more and more people are giving environmental considerations and their carbon footprints a higher priority. This includes trying to make their homes as energy efficiency as possible," said Richard Al-Dabbagh, senior personal loans manager at Alliance & Leicester.

"There are lots of diverse ways homeowners can try and make their homes greener but it all depends on how much people want to spend."

One of the first steps toward cutting a property's carbon emissions is the installation of energy saving light-bulbs.

According to the Energy Saving Trust energy efficient light bulbs use 75 per cent less electricity, when compared to their incandescent alternative, and will save £65 each over the course of their lifetime.

Cavity wall insulation is another method of cutting emissions and costs.

The insulation, injected into cavities between walls, can cut heating costs by 15 per cent - or around £100 to £120 per year.

Work can be carried out for less than £500, and there is also the potential of grants from the government to cover part of the cost.

Loft insulation works in a similar fashion and can save a further £300.

Replacing boilers which are more than 15 years old is also heavily recommended.

New boilers are between 30 and 40 per cent more efficient and cost around £500. According to Energy Saving Advice a newly installed boiler can save £260 annually, allowing homeowners to meet the cost within three years.

Double glazing, solar energy and wind turbines are all further potential investments - all of which will cut emissions and home energy bills.

"Climate change is happening. Decades of unsustainable development have placed significant pressure on the environment. How we adapt to it is the challenge facing homeowners, planners, architects, developers, construction engineers and innovators," said Environment Agency chairman, Sir John Harman.

"The good news is energy efficiency standards for new homes are 40 per cent better than those built before 2002 and 70 per cent better than in 1990.

"But there is still some way to go before the UK matches Europe's best, and really starts to move towards zero carbon buildings."

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