Jan 24 2006
A staggering £271 million and 2.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide is being wasted every year because 40 per cent of the UK's social housing do not have cavity wall insulation, according to figures released today.
The research, commissioned by the Energy Saving Trust, reveals that two thirds (69 per cent) of householders across the country will be plagued by icy draughts, condensation problems and inflated heating bills this winter.
The Energy Saving Trust is launching a national awareness campaign, to highlight the advantages of a well-insulated home and encourage local authorities and housing associations to adopt the simple measures.
Matthew Knight, Head of Community Partnerships at the Energy Saving Trust, said: "The UK is set to waste 750 million tonnes of carbon dioxide by 2020, unless we start improving the energy efficiency of our homes now - and, with around a fifth of the country's housing stock in their hands, local authorities and housing associations have a vital role to play.
"The potential impact they could have should not be underestimated - in the UK over 2 million social homes have unfilled cavity walls, which if insulated could save over 2 million tonnes of carbon dioxide every year.
"With a number of grants available, including offers from energy suppliers as part of the Energy Efficiency Commitment, installing insulation in their stock is one of the simplest and cheapest measures that housing professionals can implement and we urge them to put this at the heart of their housing strategies."
The Energy Saving Trust provides a range of support to help local authorities and housing associations improve the energy efficiency of their housing stock, including:
- Energy efficiency: the guide - a single, comprehensive source of information for housing management organisations across the UK. If you're a housing professional, this free online guide could help you save energy, time and money.www.est.org.uk/guide
- Practical help enquiry service - any question a local authority or housing association has relating to sustainable energy will be answered within three days. Up to two hours of free research is available per enquiry with no limit to the number of enquiries that can be made.