Simple measures could save households £2 billion in energy bills

The trust used Energy Saving Week, which runs from today (October 25), to launch the drive for energy efficient improvement like cavity wall and loft insulation.

The latest research from the trust claims UK householders could save more than £2 billion every year by taking three energy saving steps.

If every UK householder that could, insulated their cavity walls and lofts up to 270mm, replaced old fashioned bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) and turned their appliances off standby, owners would not only save hundreds of pounds a year on their fuel bills but also cut nearly 10 million tonnes of CO2, equivalent to taking almost 3.5 million cars off UK roads.

The study of more than 2200 UK householders – reveals the shift in attitude the financial downturn is making on homeowners’ approach to energy efficiency.

Of those questioned, more than half (55%) are using less energy than a year ago in a bid to save money.

Over a third (36%) would now consider a home survey to see if renewable energy could be installed in their property.

And four in 10 (42%) would pay more to do up their dwelling if it made their home more energy efficient.

Energy Saving Trust chief executive, Philip Sellwood, said: “There is no getting away from the fact that the UK is facing challenging economic times.

“But it is also clear that this hardship is making people think more carefully about what they are spending their money on.

“Investing in energy efficient technologies like loft or cavity wall insulation is an invaluable way to ensure that we can add value to our home, keep bills down and unlike décor will never go out of fashion.”

Luke Walsh