Stunell Launches plan to cut carbon from Stockport homes

9.53.15am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 18th Apr 2007

This week, Hazel Grove MP Andrew Stunell has launched ambitious proposals to make homes in Stockport more environmentally-friendly and to slash fuel bills.

Mr Stunell said:

"Homes here in Stockport produce 780,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year. That's 2.7 tonnes per person. If we want to cut our national carbon emissions, we really must start by making changes at home where over a quarter of all carbon emissions are produced.

"Millions of people struggle to pay their fuel bills each winter because their homes too easily lose energy. The average Stockport home wastes an average of £385 a year in energy compared to homes in Sweden. My proposals will help people to save the environment and cut bills."

"My package of proposals would reduce carbon emissions from existing homes by more than 60 per cent, and from newly built houses by 95 per cent, by 2050. That is more carbon than is produced annually by all the cars on Britain's roads."

The Liberal Democrat Climate Change Starts At Home plans would:

- Set tough new Green House standards for new homes which would cut fuel bills and soon pay for themselves;

- Create a system of 'energy mortgages', so the cost of energy efficiency measures can be repaid over the long-term, using the money saved from lower energy bills;

- Place new incentives on energy companies, so they maximise their profits by helping their customers become more energy efficient.

Commenting on the proposals, Graham Ponting, Director of the National Home Improvement Council, said:

"If we are to face up to the challenge of climate change we need to act now. This policy provides a comprehensive approach to reducing the carbon emissions from not just new homes, but more importantly from our existing homes." ENDS

Notes to editors:

More information on the proposals can be found on the Liberal Democrat website, http://www.libdems.org.uk/news/climate-change-starts-at-home-campaign.12418.html