How energy efficient is your home?

A research poll by Utilita Energy Aware has discovered that one in four UK homeowners have plans to make their houses more energy-efficient.

In an effort to become more eco-friendly, on average poll respondents said they would be willing to spend nearly £2,000 to achieve a greener home.

There are currently 12 million houses in the UK that are failing on energy performance standards.

With the poll asking UK homeowners who they believe is responsible for reducing the UK's impact on climate change (through energy wastage) the majority put the onus on the UK as a collective, saying residents should also be responsible.

Interestingly, poll participants indicated large corporations, industry, and businesses should be next in line of responsibility, followed by the government when it comes to accepting responsibility for change.

Image credit: House Beautiful

In the UK, it is estimated that business activities account for about half of all emissions, meaning companies and organisations have a huge responsibility to address their energy efficiency.

It is important to recognise that big businesses must abide by the legal energy rules and regulations of the government they operate under if they are to avoid hefty fines or court action.

For instance, if a business uses 33kWh power/145kWh of gas a day, it may have to pay the Climate Change Levy energy tax, which exists to encourage business users to become more energy-efficient and reduce their carbon dioxide emissions.

Perhaps we should place more responsibility on our governments (at both the national and local scale) to ensure the development of a more eco-friendly, and eco-conscious, society.

Through a variety of environmental taxes and incentives to increase energy-efficiency amongst big businesses and industry, the UK can well be on its way to achieving its targets for reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

A greater focus on energy-saving tips and sustainability education for school children can also leave a positive impact, especially as young people will become the homeowners of the future.