In Alastair Darling’s latest budget, £500m extra support for the housing industry has been given, of which £100m is for local authorities to build energy-efficient housing.  Coupled with the other measures taken, such as commitments to reduce carbon emissions by 35% by 2020 in the UK, the £525m new support for offshore wind power projects, intended to provide enough electricity for 3.5m households, and the £405m new funding for low-carbon technology projects, one has to ask where this leaves us, the home owner.

It would seem as though the British government are determined to change the way we live and think about housing.

All over England environmentally considerate homes are being developed using cutting edge, sustainable technologies such as recycled PFA blocks, enhanced insulation, low energy lighting, ground source heat pumps and zero waste.  Rainwater harvesting may become a prerequisite for all new homes in the UK along with use of timber from sustainable forests and recycled construction materials in our country’s efforts to curb emissions.

New home builders are changing the face of living in the UK to bring construction in line with the new parameters set out by Parliament, combining consumers lifestyle requirements with newly instituted regulations by installing dual flush toilets, aerated taps, rainwater harvesting systems and traffic calming measures along with green spots (parks) and low energy usage lighting and appliances.

If this is the way of the future, what aid will be given to the consumer who has to modify their current property in order to make it saleable?  Will government take this into consideration when passing new legislation or will we simply have to shell out to modify our homes in hope of a reasonable market value?

Whilst our national energy emissions seem to be in line with the rest of Europe, the United Kingdom is still way above the global average and we all need to be aware of this and encourage the development of truly renewable resources.  To achieve this every UK resident would need to save energy on a daily basis.  To keep you informed here are some of our energy consumption figures:

- On average our homes give off more harmful CO2 gas than the average car (source: ETSU)

- 18% of greenhouse gases come from 1.7billion cows

- The average UK household uses around 155 litres of water daily

- If we all showered, not bathed, weekly we’d save water to fill 1000 cups of tea (uSwitch)

- 4.6% of carbon emissions in the UK are from computers

- London’s waste could power 2 million homes if anaerobically disposed of

- 72% of UK residents believe that energy bills are too high(uSwitch)

- The Dept of Energy & climate change intends to install Smart Meters in every home by 2020.

So, what can you do to help yourself save energy and protect the world you live in?

- Swop your light bulbs for energy saving ones

- Avoid tumble drying your washing

- Turn your heating down 1 degree

- Leave your heating on a constant temperature instead of letting it turn on and off

- Read your meter monthly and monitor your consumption

- Insulate your loft

- Take showers not baths

- Turn lights off when you leave a room

- Place a brick in the toilet cistern

- Don’t overfill the kettle

- Cycle to work

If you feel you already do most of that and you are suffering in the cold you may be eligible for a grant to carry out energy saving improvements.  See www.warmfront.co.uk.

Assuming responsibility for >energy saving in our homes is vital if we are to strive to make a global difference as well as a personal difference to our household budgets.