Share this page
Print this page:
Add this page to:
EU plans to push green home improvements
11/11/10
Edited by Andy Jowett.The European Commission will bring forward new investment incentives and "innovative financial instruments" to support green home improvements in mid-2011.
It made the pledge in a new communication, Energy 2020, which sets out its strategy for ensuring the European Union can make the switch to a low-carbon economy by the end of the decade.
Enhancing energy efficiency across all 27 member states is one of the priorities set out in the document, along with empowering consumers, developing a pan-European energy market and establishing the bloc as a leader in green technology and innovation.
The commission said in its report that energy efficiency is "the most cost-effective way" to tackle carbon emissions, reduce the cost of power consumption for households and generate new jobs.
It added that cutting heat loss and unnecessary electricity use can save up to €1,000 (£853) a year for the average European household.
Residential property owners in Britain already have a number of incentive schemes to help improve the environmental performance of their homes, such as the Feed-in Tariffs programme, which provides guaranteed monthly payments for generating power from sustainable sources.
