news source : thisislondon
Every household in Britain is to be offered cheap deals on a range of measures to save energy and cut fuel bills.
Pensioners and the poorest families will have wider access to free loft and wall insulation, draught-proofing, heating systems and double-glazing.
And, in a surprise move, Gordon Brown will also announce today that discounts will be available to any homeowners who wish to apply, regardless of income.
Ministers have secured an extra £800million for energy efficiency measures from the ‘big six’ power giants in return for not hitting them with a windfall tax.
The package will focus on two existing programmes - Warm Front, where pensioners and those on some benefits can get heating and insulation improvements, and the carbon emissions reduction target (CERT), where utility firms pay towards energy-saving schemes in homes.
Around four million poorest households will be eligible for free loft and cavity wall insulation, modern central heating systems and lagging for hot water tanks.
Almost 20million more will be able to claim discounts for the same measures and also receive items such as cheap energy efficient lightbulbs. Grants would not be meanstested, sources said last night.
The major energy suppliers - Centrica, EDF, Scottish Power, Scottish and Southern, E.ON and npower - have agreed to increase their contributions to the CERT scheme by 20 per cent over the next three years. There may also be cash from power generators Drax, British Energy and International Power for the first time.
Mr Brown insisted yesterday that the measures would give people the chance to cut their bills every year rather than one-off help for this winter.
But his £1billion package - part of an autumn fightback - sparked renewed demands for immediate cash help for the worst off and union calls for price caps.
Joe Harris, general secretary of the National Pensioners Convention, said: ‘Energy efficiency schemes won’t help them pay their bills this month and neither will they prevent over 20,000 pensioners dying from the cold this winter.’
Kate Green, chief executive of the Child Poverty Action Group, said: ‘The immediate crisis is in family pockets, not wall cavities.
For more information on Loft and Cavity Wall Insulation visit http://www.thinkinsulation.co.uk
Friday, 12 September 2008
Insulation will pay for itself over years
The biggest beneficiaries of Gordon Brown’s energy measures look set to be loft laggers, double-glazing installers and other home-insulation specialists. The package offers the prospect of windfalls for the tradesmen and companies that make a living in this growing sector.
But it is a godsend, too, for the poorest households who will have the work done free. The better-off, who may have to contribute, will benefit from lower heating bills.
Loft insulation is a good starting point. It prevents 15 per cent of heat loss through the roof, by trapping heat inside the house. A 270mm layer of insulation costs £500 to install but average savings are £155 a year. DIY insulation costs about £250, with payback after two years.
Insulating cavity walls can save one third of heat loss from a home and reduce bills by 15 per cent or £120 a year. Only homes built after about 1920, however, were constructed with two layers and a cavity. Installation costs are about £500 and payback takes about four years. Older houses can be fitted with solid insulation: either a weatherproof extra external wall or an extra layer of plasterboard inside. External work is expensive. The average cost for insulating a three-bedroomed semi is £4,500. Annual savings will be about £380, so it takes 12 years before payback. Internal insulation works out at about £42 a metre, saving £360 a year.
Double glazing is not to everyone’s taste but can cut heat loss from a room by 50 per cent. Costs vary from £300 to £1,000 a window depending on size. Experts advise starting with windows in rooms that are most expensive to heat. Savings are about £110 a year.
For more information on Loft and Cavity Wall Insulation visit http://www.thinkinsulation.co.uk
But it is a godsend, too, for the poorest households who will have the work done free. The better-off, who may have to contribute, will benefit from lower heating bills.
Loft insulation is a good starting point. It prevents 15 per cent of heat loss through the roof, by trapping heat inside the house. A 270mm layer of insulation costs £500 to install but average savings are £155 a year. DIY insulation costs about £250, with payback after two years.
Insulating cavity walls can save one third of heat loss from a home and reduce bills by 15 per cent or £120 a year. Only homes built after about 1920, however, were constructed with two layers and a cavity. Installation costs are about £500 and payback takes about four years. Older houses can be fitted with solid insulation: either a weatherproof extra external wall or an extra layer of plasterboard inside. External work is expensive. The average cost for insulating a three-bedroomed semi is £4,500. Annual savings will be about £380, so it takes 12 years before payback. Internal insulation works out at about £42 a metre, saving £360 a year.
Double glazing is not to everyone’s taste but can cut heat loss from a room by 50 per cent. Costs vary from £300 to £1,000 a window depending on size. Experts advise starting with windows in rooms that are most expensive to heat. Savings are about £110 a year.
For more information on Loft and Cavity Wall Insulation visit http://www.thinkinsulation.co.uk
Wednesday, 3 September 2008
France to offer zero-pct loans for home energy efficiency: ministry sources
PARIS (AFP) - France will offer interest-free loans from next January 1 to encourage energy efficiency in the home, government sources said on Tuesday.
The loans can be used for thermal insulation and heating systems, with a ceiling of 30,000 euros (43,500 dollars), ecology ministry officials said, confirming a report in the financial daily Les Echos.
The measure, whose details have yet to be hammered out, is the latest in a series of initiatives by France to lower its bill for imported energy and its emissions of greenhouse gases.
Previous moves include a bonus system for cars in which taxes are increased or lowered according to the vehicle’s carbon pollution. The system is shortly to be extended to televisions, light bulbs and other household gadgets.
France already offers tax credits of up to 50 percent on the price of new-generation boilers and double-glazing.
For the zero-interest loan, a homeowner would need to apply to a bank for the money needed for the work and reimburse the sum over seven or eight years. The government will pay the bank the interest due on the loan.
At Thinkinsulation you can request for a survey and quote by calling them at 08700 612 216 or by visiting their website http://www.thinkinsulation.co.uk.
The loans can be used for thermal insulation and heating systems, with a ceiling of 30,000 euros (43,500 dollars), ecology ministry officials said, confirming a report in the financial daily Les Echos.
The measure, whose details have yet to be hammered out, is the latest in a series of initiatives by France to lower its bill for imported energy and its emissions of greenhouse gases.
Previous moves include a bonus system for cars in which taxes are increased or lowered according to the vehicle’s carbon pollution. The system is shortly to be extended to televisions, light bulbs and other household gadgets.
France already offers tax credits of up to 50 percent on the price of new-generation boilers and double-glazing.
For the zero-interest loan, a homeowner would need to apply to a bank for the money needed for the work and reimburse the sum over seven or eight years. The government will pay the bank the interest due on the loan.
At Thinkinsulation you can request for a survey and quote by calling them at 08700 612 216 or by visiting their website http://www.thinkinsulation.co.uk.
Energy efficiency boosts house prices!
Energy efficient measures such as loft insulation and cavity wall insulation which improve a home’s performance are believed by many to improve the saleability of a home.
A study by the Energy Saving Trust revealed that half of UK homeowners believe homes with greener features are easier to sell.
Even as the property market becomes stagnant, the EST survey revealed that 56 per cent of householders would be willing to pay extra for homes equipped with energy efficiency measures.
The survey showed that home buyers would be prepared to pay on average £3,350 for a ‘green home’.
However, respondents expressed their frustration with real estate agents, with 56 per cent saying that the person tasked with selling their house did not understand energy performance.
Philip Sellwood, Chief Executive of the Energy Saving Trust comments: “It is really encouraging to see the extent to which green measures have become an integral factor when buying and selling houses.
“In the current economic climate, it makes sense to ensure that the running costs of the home you are living in or buying are as low as possible as well as helping to cut down on your carbon dioxide emissions.”
Nearly three quarters of homeowners also expressed their concern that a poor rating on their energy performance certificate could give the buyer leverage with which to haggle down the price.
The National Association of Estate Agents, however, has criticised the scheme of home information packs, which include an Energy Performance Certificate, as “not fit for [the] purpose”.
A study by the Energy Saving Trust revealed that half of UK homeowners believe homes with greener features are easier to sell.
Even as the property market becomes stagnant, the EST survey revealed that 56 per cent of householders would be willing to pay extra for homes equipped with energy efficiency measures.
The survey showed that home buyers would be prepared to pay on average £3,350 for a ‘green home’.
However, respondents expressed their frustration with real estate agents, with 56 per cent saying that the person tasked with selling their house did not understand energy performance.
Philip Sellwood, Chief Executive of the Energy Saving Trust comments: “It is really encouraging to see the extent to which green measures have become an integral factor when buying and selling houses.
“In the current economic climate, it makes sense to ensure that the running costs of the home you are living in or buying are as low as possible as well as helping to cut down on your carbon dioxide emissions.”
Nearly three quarters of homeowners also expressed their concern that a poor rating on their energy performance certificate could give the buyer leverage with which to haggle down the price.
The National Association of Estate Agents, however, has criticised the scheme of home information packs, which include an Energy Performance Certificate, as “not fit for [the] purpose”.
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