UK not on track to meet carbon neutral home target
(07 March 2007)

The UK is not on track to meet its target of making all new homes carbon neutral within the next ten years.

That's according to a new survey published by UCB Home Loans, showing that more than two thirds (67 per cent) of the 1,000 mortgage intermediaries questioned believed that the ambitious target would not be achieved.

At the present time, less than thirty homes in the UK are classified as carbon neutral - meaning they have a net energy consumption of zero over the course of a typical year. Despite this, the government wants all new builds to be carbon neutral by 2016.

"The views of intermediaries are important, because they are responsible for arranging a large proportion of all home loans - including new build developments," said Keith Astill of UCB Home Loans.

"They deal directly with homebuyers and so are ideally placed to make a judgment."

The new Home Information Packs that are due to be introduced in June will include an Energy Performance Certificate that grades a property's energy rating.

The government hopes that these packs will help to promote consumers' understanding of the carbon footprints of homes.