The UK Government has announced plans to help ‘green’ existing homes

The Warm Homes, Greener Homes strategy aims to cut carbon emissions from UK homes by 29% by 2020, and will be implemented in three stages:

– to insulate 6m homes by the end of 2011
– to have insulated all practical lofts and cavity walls by 2015
– to have offered up to 7m eco upgrades by 2020 as well fitting all homes with smart meters.

New legislation will also allow new ‘pay as you save’ green loans to be tied to a property. This will avoid the up-front cost of eco upgrades and instead add a charge to the home’s energy bill.

“The Warm Homes, Greener Homes strategy will remove the deterrent of upfront costs and reduce the hassle of the move to greener living,” said Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband.

“Making homes more energy efficient will help protect people from upward pressure on bills, tackle climate change, and make us less reliant on imported energy.”