Landlords 'can reduce business energy bills by retrofitting homes'

10/03/2010

Landlords must retrofit their properties if Britain is to meet its mandatory carbon reduction targets, according to one expert.

Gordon Miller, founder of whatgreenhome.com, believes recent government incentives to encourage greener homes are vital if the UK is to meet its targets to cut harmful CO2 emissions by 80 per cent by 2050.

The new plans include 'pay as you save' green loans, which will tied to properties and avoid the up-front cost of eco upgrades.

Mr Millar pointed out that installing PV panels on the roof of a property would cost around £12,000 and would generate enough electricity to provide around half of what was needed in an average house.

"Clearly retrofitting and bringing the existing homes up to speed is absolutely critical if we are going to meet our own emissions targets and reduce CO2 emissions," he said.

Meanwhile, the Existing Homes Alliance (ExHA) last month launched a manifesto calling for a commitment from the government to deliver a national retrofit programme.

Posted by Sam Williams