Thursday June 26, 07:14 AM
Plan To Force UK Homes To Go Green
By Sky News
Homeowners could be forced to improve the energy efficiency of their homes under new Government proposals. The policy, the most ambitious of its kind for 50 years, is designed to meet the EU target of obtaining 15% of the country's energy
from renewable sources by 2020.The proposals include forcing homeowners to improve efficiency while renovating, building a total of 7,000 new wind turbines, and covering land the size of Essex with trees or crops to produce biomass fuel. The plans would mean higher energy bills in the short term. But Donachadh McCarthy, who created London's first carbon-negative home - meaning he sells more electricity to the National Grid than he pays for - says there are financial benefits. "My gas bill last year was £12," he said. "I'm in credit with my water company, so my day-to-day bills now are absolutely non-existent." However, in order to make it a profitable enterprise, the Government will have to increase the rate at which energy can be sold back to the Grid. They will also have to simplify planning applications for wind farms which can add three years to a building project. Detractors argue the Government needs to show more action to demonstrate committment to rapid change. "We've got a fantastic renewable resource in the UK but we've done nothing with it for the past two decades," said Mike Childs, from Friends of the Earth. "So we have to see firm actions, we can't see more promises more consultations. We need to see firm pledges, legal changes and a breakthrough in terms of renewables in the UK." Time is running out for the Government, not only in the face of EU directives, but in a twin battle against climate change and spiralling oil prices.
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