Retrofitting is a ‘Good Idea’

Posted under Blog by Ruth

According to the founder of whatgreenhome.com, Gordon Miller, the government’s latest Greener Homes strategy is a good start. However, he has also voiced concerns over the plans.

The main concerns lie in the fact that it may be hard to implement the plans and to encourage people to sign up to the scheme in the first place.

Mr Miller said ‘it is a good idea in principle but obviously the detail is everything in this. Administration of the programme could see difficulties.

Speaking on the topic of bringing older homes up to date with eco friendly technology, he added that it is ‘absolutely essential’ if we are going to meet emissions targets at ro cut down on CO2 emissions.

The government recently announced the new scheme, which will be carried out in three stages to help make Britain’s homes more energy efficient, helping to save homeowners money on energy bills and protecting the environment.

The first stage of the strategy is that six million homes will be insulated by the end of 2011.

The second stage will see measures such as loft and cavity wall insulation by 2015, and the third stage will over ‘eco upgrades’ and smart meters to measure energy usage to all homes by 2020.

It has already been shown that measures such as double glazing can help to reduce heat lost through windows by half, and save an average of £135 on yearly energy bills.

These changes are seen as vital by the government and Mr Miller due to the fact that three quarters of existing homes in Britain will still be in use by 2050.