The WWF charity have welcomed Government proposals to help UK households save money on their energy bills. The £1 billion ‘Home Energy Saving Programme’ plans to make homes more energy efficient, as the Government introduce more comprehensive long-term measures to address the failings of our existing housing stock.  This is seen as the first step towards helping reduce the carbon footprint of existing homes in the UK.

Sustainable Homes Policy Officer at WWF, Zoe Leader, said -

‘Improving the energy efficiency of our homes has to be a priority for the Government if it is to reduce the UK’s CO2 emissions and address the burning issue of fuel poverty. WWF is encouraged by the Government’s aim to insulate all of Britain’s homes by 2020, but at the same time, Gordon Brown needs to look beyond short term solutions for the housing sector, and put in place a clear long-term strategy for making all homes achieve their energy efficiency potential by the end of the decade. For many UK homes, insulation alone will not be the answer.’

The recent WWF report ‘How Low?’  looked at the methods for transforming the UK’s energy inefficient housing stock through solid wall insulation and zero-carbon technologies. This is achievable through ground source heat pumps and solar water heating. Such technologies can be applied to older buildings and rural households, but Gordon Brown’s latest measures will not address these findings.

The WWF is urging the Government to introduce a range of financial incentives that could include low interest loans and council tax rebates to energy efficient homes. These schemes have already been successfully introduced in parts of Europe, and may motivate more homeowners to improve their carbon footprint.

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The Shelter charity has welcomed the Government’s pledge to tackle problems in the housing market and protect people by building more affordable homes.

Proposals to increase the exemption level for stamp duty and help first-time buyers onto the housing ladder were applauded, alongside the Governments commitment to help those who fall into arrears or are on the brink of losing their home.

The Government has pledged to invest £100m to improve the safety net for those in mortgage arrears, which could help prevent up to 10,000 repossessions. The introduction of a new mortgage rescue scheme will also help up to 6,000 vulnerable homeowners.

These changes are welcomed, but with an estimated 45,000 homeowners set to lose their property this year, this campaign will not fully avert the huge scale of the current housing crisis. Shelter intends to continue their campaign for further measures to tackle these issues and will looking out to influence the pre-budget report.

With your help, Shelter will try and support the hundreds of thousands of people priced out of the property market and the 1.6 million households stuck on council housing waiting lists.

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