New research suggests that Government plans to achieve an 80% reduction in the CO2 emissions from existing UK homes by 2050 may be unrealistic.
Writing in a special issue of the Building Research and Information journal, researchers from the Carbon Reduction in Buildings (CaRB) Consortium, in which Loughborough University and University College London played a major role, present detailed new evidence on how people use energy in buildings.
The researchers overturn beliefs surrounding technical improvements in the home by suggesting that householders use energy efficiency initiatives to make their homes more comfortable rather than to save energy. The Consortium have found that energy efficiency measures seem to encourage householders to turn up the heat, leave the heating on for longer and heat more rooms.
Professor Lomas’ article published in Volume 38 Issue 1 of Building Research and Information is available to download for free from: http://tinyurl.com/BRI381Editorial.
The complete issue of Building Research and Information, containing an in-depth investigation into the relevant questions, is available from: http://tinyurl.com/BRI381.