Green Improvements Need to Be Given More Support According to Expert

Posted under Blog by Ruth

According to an expert, ministers in the UK need to ‘put their money where their mouth is’ when it comes to residential property.

According to the editor of Built It magazine, Duncan Hayes says that many owners of residential property are finding it difficult to make green home improvements due to the large expense. He praised schemes such as the boiler scrappage scheme, but added that they ‘never go far enough and the money never lasts long’.

The scrappage scheme was launched in January and was set up to provide vouchers worth £400 to 125,000 homeowners across the country. The voucher would go towards the costs of replacing older G-Rated boiler models with more energy efficient versions.

Hayes stated that the government needed to look towards more ambitious incentives, as well as greater subsidies for making green home improvements. He added that the appetite is there for homeowners to make properties more energy efficient, though the upfront cost puts people off despite the fact that they will ultimately save on their energy costs.

Industry professionals have recently petitioned for the addition of a window scrappage scheme. Similar to the boiler model, this would reward people with money to help replace old, draughty and inefficient windows with efficient UPVC double glazing. This would help to cut heat loss by half and reduce annual energy bills by £135, according to the Energy Saving Trust.