Green loan for home owners

Plans to encourage householders to make their homes much warmer and cheaper to run have been announced by ministers.

Consumers will be offered long-term loans to install insulation, solar panels or other green technology, which they can repay through energy bills.

The government wants to save 29% of carbon emissions from UK homes by 2020.

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said the scheme would lower energy costs but campaigners say not enough is being done in the short term for renters.

Moves to compel private landlords to make energy efficient improvements to their properties are not planned to come into effect until 2015.

Pilot scheme
The government says its plans will allow seven million British households to benefit from upgrades and create up to 65,000 jobs in the green homes industry.

source/fullstory: news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8544790.stm