New plan to help homes cut emissions starts today

Energy and climate change secretary Ed Miliband has outlined government's latest measures to help householders save money and energy as he welcomed 10:10 - a new campaign to cut carbon emissions by 10% in 2010.

Around 90,000 homes in some of the poorest areas in the UK are hoped to see an average saving of 20% per year in their emissions through a new community based energy saving scheme which starts today. This amounts to financial savings of around £300 per year off fuel bills.

In the past year, more than 1.2 million homes have received some form of insulation under the carbon emissions reduction target with enough professional loft insulation installed to stretch from London to Sydney and back. The number of households getting this help through energy companies has been increased, with Government recently increasing the target by 20%.

Responding to the 10:10 campaign, the Department of Energy and Climate Change has said it is on course to cut its own emissions at its London headquarters by 10% by April 2010 and it will make further reductions through the rest of 2010 and beyond.

Miliband said: "As government, we are in the best position to make it as easy as possible for everyone to cut their carbon emissions.

"By signing up to the10:10 campaign, I hope people will be sending a broader message to governments round the world. They need to agree a global deal at Copenhagen that is ambitious in cutting emissions, fair to developing countries and effective in holding countries to their word.

"We will cut emissions in the UK by at least a third by 2020. Concerted action shows the world we are serious about tackling climate change ahead of the crucial climate talks in Copenhagen."