The Climate Change Act of 2008 has committed the UK to reduce it CO2 emissions by at least 25 by the year 2020 with a longterm goal of reaching an 80 reduction by the year 2050. Since this only became law in November 2008 some readers might be wondering what the government has done (and is continuing to do) to help achieve these goals. The Energy Savings Trust website reports the following actions:

  • Introduced mandatory Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) for the sale/purchase of homes so that all properties (when bought, sold, built, or rented) will require an EPC.
  • Currently working with energy suppliers who provide support to households to help them improve the efficiency of their homes via the Carbon Emission Reduction Target (CERT) which replaced the Energy Efficiency Commitment.
  • Banned incandescent bulbs in favor of energy saving light bulbs.
  • Encouraged local authority planning departments to adopt microgeneration targets for new buildings.
  • Lowered VAT from 17.5 to 5 on some energy saving materials (insulation and heating controls), if they are fitted by professional installers.
  • Introduced the Climate Change Levy whereby businesses pay an additional tax on their energy use, unless exempted by their use of renewable energy.

And as far as what individuals have accomplished thus far, it’s reported that between 2002 and 2005 that a whopping 1.1 million households installed or topped up their loft insulation. It is estimated that 87 million a year in energy costs will be saved as a result of this.Now that’s what we call viable results.