NHER Scheme Misses Targets - Here's How To Hit Them

According to the National Home Energy Rating (NHER) Scheme report by the National Energy Foundation, if every home assessed followed the basic recommended actions from it's Energy Performance Certificates (EPC), it would emit 1.2 tonnes less CO2, save £182 a year on fuel bills and represent a 22% cut in emissions. Common recommendations include simple tasks like fitting loft and cavity wall insulation but by far the biggest savings are to be had by improving home heating systems (recommended in over two thirds of all homes). If landlords and homeowners followed further advice contained in each home's EPC, the savings would be almost 50%.

Encouragingly, more than two-thirds of home buyers surveyed by National Energy Foundation had started to make energy saving home improvements; 33% of those who'd read their EPC had starting acting on the recommendations; and another 9% more were planning to soon.

But - and it’s a big but - the 22% cut in emissions proposed here wouldn't meet the Government target for 2020 of 34% less CO2 emissions than in 1990 - and certainly not the next target for 2050 - a wonderful 80% reduction. So here are just 3 ideas to take us forward with more chance of making those desperately needed cuts in emissions:

• The Energy Saving Trust should be protected from cuts in the current economic climate;

• Restrictions on listed buildings can mean they cannot be made more energy efficient - these should be lifted to allow them to stop needlessly wasting energy;

• And children should be taught the importance of saving energy and the exact steps Mum and Dad can take to make the home more energy efficient at school as early as possible! Not only does this raise the next generation with energy saving as the norm, it brings a bit of much-needed pester-power to help speed those DIY jobs along...

What are your suggestions?