Credit: David Grey
There's no shortage of advice on how to make your home greener by cutting energy consumption, minimising waste and taking other eco-friendly measures, but it can be tricky knowing where to start. To make the transition as hassle-free as possible, the Government is launching the Act On CO2 Website initiative, which aims to deliver a practical approach to going green.
Here's the lowdown on what it offers and how it can help you reduce your carbon footprint and slash your bills.
The Act On CO2 initiative is a one-stop shop for impartial advice on all environmental matters relating to your home and lifestyle. It will provide a green home health check - like an MOT for your home - with advice on energy saving, water conservation, waste reduction, recycling and even green transport options.
You'll be put in touch with energy companies offering discounted or free energy-saving products, such as loft and cavity wall insulation, and made aware of grants through programmes such as Warm Front Grants. There will also be a range of financial support packages available to householders, and help for buyers and sellers in improving the performance of homes with poor energy ratings.
It has already - from 1 April 2008, but timescales haven't been finalised for the rest of the service. However, the Government plans for it to be fully operational throughout the UK by 2011.
You can call 0800 512012 or get in touch through Energy Saving Trust Advice Centres. The existing network of centres will be rapidly expanded and transformed into one-stop shops, providing complete green advice for householders. Over £100 million of Government money is being given to the Energy Saving Trust to make this possible and make the service proactive rather than reactive, taken directly to people's doors rather than simply responding to calls.
Advice and information are free, but you can opt for a paid-for premium service, with a green home makeover, using trusted suppliers. This includes a home audit, carried by a household environmental assessor, who will provide a personal action plan, identifying where energy can be saved, waste reduced and water conserved. On top of this, the service will project manage the installation of energy saving measures in the home, and will work with the financial sector to ensure green packages are available for householders to fund energy efficiency improvements and renewable technologies, such as solar panels. The price for this premium service hasn't yet been decided.
Not surprisingly, EST Chief Executive Philip Sellwood is very enthusiastic about the future. 'What our Green Barometer - a quarterly research report on consumer attitudes and behaviours - has shown is that people don't compartmentalise environmental issues,' he says. 'For them energy efficiency, greener transport, household waste reduction and water conservation all fall under the same environmental umbrella. Therefore they expect and want advice on these issues to be delivered from one source. The suite of services for green homes being offered will provide this holistic solution for consumers.'
