CO2 advice line set up to help householders 'green' their homes

Published by Hannah Wooderson for 24dash.com in Housing and also in Environment

Measures to help householders to "green" their homes were launched by Environment Secretary Hilary Benn today.

Mr Benn said everybody needed to take steps to tackle climate change, with moves to cut the carbon footprint of people's homes required as much as measures by Government or industry.

To launch the initiative, the Environment Secretary is today visiting the west London home of a working mother with an Energy Saving Trust "energy doctor" looking at energy efficiency, water use and waste reduction measures.

The new schemes include the launch of an "Act on CO2 Advice Line" which will give people across the country access to a one-stop shop for all their environmental needs.

In addition to answering queries on how to use less energy in their homes, the green homes service will give advice on how to save water, reduce waste, adopt greener travel methods and get information about grants and offers from energy companies.

The Government said it is providing £100 million for the Energy Saving Trust to deliver a broader programme for green homes, which will see the roll-out of a network of one-stop advice centres around the country over the next 12 months.

As part of the package of measures, up to 100 communities in England will get a "green makeover" with the aim of showing how neighbourhoods can reduce their carbon footprints by more than 60%.

The Green Neighbourhoods Initiative is backed by up to £10 million from the Government's Environmental Transformation Fund, with a competition for funding launched by the Energy Saving Trust by the end of the year.

The scheme will focus on homes with carbon footprints which are hard to reduce, such as Victorian terraces and tower blocks, as well as properties which use gas or oil for heating and action outside the homes including efficient street lighting and community energy projects.

The measures have been launched as the new Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (Cert) obligation comes into force, which requires energy suppliers to make consumers' homes more energy efficient.

The investment will be around £1 billion a year for three years - although costs are passed onto consumers through higher energy bills.

It will involve the distribution of around 100 million free or subsidised low energy lightbulbs, improved insulation for five million households and two to three million will receive help with measures to save energy.

Around two fifths of the work to reduce emissions and energy bills will be targeted at the over-70s and those on low income, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said.

In a speech today, Mr Benn will say: "It is because none of us will be immune to dangerous climate change, that we all need to take steps to prevent it happening.

"These initiatives will give people the support to do this in their everyday lives.

"This is essential because if we are to stop climate change's worst consequences, changes need to be made in people's kitchens, living rooms and communities, as much as in industry boardrooms, parliamentary debating chambers or around in the international negotiating table."

Mr Benn said that he expected large volumes of calls to the new helpline today, and warned that callers may not be able to get through.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I think we are going to get quite a few calls on the first day, because we have got ads in the papers. I think there will be a lot of demand, but if you can't get through, leave your number and they will call back.

"Surveys we have done show that 97% of people are aware of climate change and 81% of them are concerned about it. The question is do we feel we can change it and where do we go to get good advice?"