How to make your home green for the future

A recent survey by npower has shown that nine out of 10 UK homeowners have heard the term ‘energy efficiency’ and the majority of us – 72% – know it can save us money.

Yet while many of us are making short term efforts to be more energy efficient, we’re still unwilling to invest in long-term home improvements.

Two fifths of those asked said they can’t afford to be energy efficient while 22% can’t be bothered!

In fact, less than half (45%) were conscious of the effect their energy use has on the environment and nearly a quarter (23%) believed their actions wouldn’t make a difference.

npower says that if we’re truly going to make our homes greener, we need to start thinking longer term. While it’s great that 62% of us have installed ‘quick and easy’ improvements, such as insulation or draught-proofing, there is little uptake of self-generation technology, with only 5% investing in solar panels.

Of course, this is in part due to the different levels of investment needed to install these improvements, but there is also a lack of understanding as to why using renewable energy is so important.

While quick home improvements can make an impact on energy bills, it’s only by using less energy and tapping into renewable sources that households can really reduce their energy costs for years to come.

The Government is keen for us all to make our homes more energy efficient too. Thanks to a new Government scheme, called the Energy Company Obligation (ECO), many householders could be eligible for free energy saving improvements.

npower is one of the companies delivering the scheme, offering improvements to eligible householders – whether they are an npower customer or not.

An accredited Home Energy Assessor will visit the property to provide a free and impartial assessment to determine which measures are suitable and whether they are available free of charge. An approved and accredited installer will then complete the work at the property. You can find out more about the eligibility criteria here – www.npower.com/greennation

So, for the two fifths of UK homeowners say they cannot afford to be efficient, ECO could well be the solution. For households that do not qualify for free energy saving improvements, npower will also soon be offering energy saving improvements through the Green Deal.

This is another government initiative that gives access to a finance package to pay for recommended home improvements through installments on your electricity bill. From insulation to boiler replacements, there are a range of simple and straightforward improvements to keep homes warmer while reducing energy usage.

This means households can install and benefit from improvements straight away, and the extra cost on their bill should be covered by the estimated financial savings expected to be achieved through the installation of the improvements!

For more information on the npower and the energy saving improvements on offer, call 0800 980 3355.