UK rolls out energy savings pilot test

The British government is set to initiate the pilot-testing of its household energy saving programme in selected areas in England. The “Pay As You Save” (PAYS) energy-saving scheme is part of the “whole house energy makeovers” to find affordable ways to make houses more environmentally friendly.

The programme was launched as nations across the world meet in Copenhagen starting Monday to discuss climate change and find ways to mitigate its effect.

Householders may also save money on their energy bills by switching energy supplier.

Climate Change secretary Ed Miliband said, “The next two weeks in Copenhagen are crunch time for the planet.The UK has taken a lead in putting solutions on the table throughout the process so far and I’ll not rest until we have the most ambitious, effective and fair deal possible.”

Around 500 houses in Birmingham, Sunderland, London Borough of Sutton and Stroud will take part in the new £4 million government scheme, and get a chance to invest in energy efficiency and microgeneration technologies for their homes with no upfront cost.

Under the programme, participating households will make repayments spread over a longer period so the repayments are lower than the expected energy bill savings. This translates to financial and carbon savings from the start of the programme.

The trial locations include Birmingham City Council, Gentoo Sunderland, British Gas, B&Q UK and Stroud District Council. They were chosen after an open competition. Eventually, the government is targetting 22 million homeowners across the country to become energy efficient.

The whole house energy makeovers programme will use several technologies including insulation and small scale renewables such as solar panels or ground source heat pumps to provide energy.

Miliband added, “Our credibility abroad is based on our ambition at home. We’re the first country to put carbon targets into law, and our target of an 80 per cent reduction by 2050 is one of the most ambitious.

“Many British householders want to reduce their emissions, but are put off by the upfront cost of installing insulation, solar panels or ground source heat pumps. ‘Pay As You Save’ will trial different ways of paying for this work so it’s affordable.”

The secretary explained that the UK’s total emissions come from home, so household owners have the moral obligation to take a bigger role in finding a solution to climate change.