¼ of UK Carbon Emissions Caused By Energy Used in Homes

The Energy Saving Trust (EST) and the Environment Agency announced today findings from a joint report which indicates that domestic water use in the UK is a major source for dangerous carbon emissions.  They concluded that inefficient household water heaters will continue to be a problem unless action is taken in the future.

More than a quarter of the UK’s carbon emissions come from energy use in homes.  The government plans to reduce 80% of emissions by 2050, and part of that plan includes outfitting existing homes with energy efficiency measures including loft and cavity-wall insulation.  The government plans to require all new homes starting in 2016 to be built to be zero carbon.

The new report by EST and the Environment Agency suggests that Britons could save up to 30% on energy use by implementing small changes such as lagging plants and low-flow taps. These water-saving measures are estimated to save each household up to £225 per year on water and energy bills.

“Water is a precious resource and as the government outlined in last week’s low carbon transition plan we urgently need to cut carbon emissions to help reduce the impact of future climate change,” said Ian Barker, head of water at the Environment Agency.

Magda Styles, water and waste strategy manager at the EST, said that if old appliances such as washing machines and dishwashers were replaced with newer more energy efficient models coupled with a conscious effort to reduce hot water use than getting beyond 30% carbon reduction in homes would be possible.

Special Thanks to www.guardian.co.uk for the above quotes, for more information see the article on their website.