New Government figures shows an increasing number of households are choosing to have insulation.

According to the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) the level of households having loft insulation installed is on the rise.

As of January this year, 12.9 million residential properties had loft insulation installed that is 125 mm thick or more. The report claims this is a rise of 310,000 since October 2010.

The news means that more people in the UK are benefiting from lower central heating bills and also reduced carbon emissions.

The DECC also noted that many people are embarking on DIY projects in order to improve their homes. The number of DIY installations has jumped up by 61 per cent.

A total of 171,000 households  have installed loft insulation themselves, while 112,000 sought the skills of a professional.

The number of cavity wall insulations has also seen a vast increase of 140,000 to reach 10.6 million since October 2010.

The UK Public Health Association has warned that the UK’s two-tier system for calculating domestic fuel bills could be causing thousands of deaths each year.

According to experts at the UK Public Health Association, Britain’s poorest households are penalised unfairly by the two-tier tariff system that charges the most money for the first units of energy used.

Branding the system “iniquitous”, the public health experts have demanded change – not least because current figures estimate that more than 30,000 people in the UK die each winter because of low temperatures. Most of these deaths are caused by strokes, chest infections and heart attacks.

Professor John Ashton, chairman of the UK Public Health Association, said: “What’s happening in a lot of these houses is that you’ll have an elderly person, perhaps a widow on their own on a low pension, struggling to keep the house warm. She’ll keep one room warm and then at bedtime she’ll go up to her bedroom which is cold. She’ll get chilled and then she’ll get a chest infection, go on to get pneumonia and that’s it.”

The cost of running domestic central heating systems in the UK has risen sharply during recent years, despite energy companies enjoying relatively low wholesale fuel prices. With fuel poverty worsening for millions of households in the UK and unseasonably cold weather having struck twice in as many years, Professor Ashton argues that the two-tier tariff system is merely compounding the problem.

Professor Ashton added: “We spend a lot of effort trying to prevent premature deaths at all ages but particularly in the elderly. This is something that we ought to be able to do quite simply and one of the things is addressing this iniquitous pricing structure.”

Professor Ashton suggested that the lowest charges could be applied before the highest charges, so that the first units of energy used are the cheapest. Christine McGourty, of Energy UK, disagrees with Professor Ashton’s suggestion, however, stating that most high energy users are families with children at home during the day. Ms McGourty argued that changing the system could make matters worse for some households.

Despite it now being compulsory for energy suppliers to send households annual energy statements uSwitch.com has reported that more than half the UK’s households are without one.

Ofgem has been warned that energy suppliers are failing to deliver annual energy statements to customers. Suppliers had until December 1, 2010 to provide customers with their first annual statement, detailing their current energy plan, yearly consumption and how much they can expect to pay for their energy over the next year. But according to uSwitch, just 37 per cent of households claim to have received an annual energy statement.

Another 56 per cent (almost 15 million households) have either not received an annual statement from their energy supplier or have failed to recognise that they have had one.

The news comes as energy providers are already under fire for rising central heating costs. The annual statements are supposed to boost the competitive market by helping consumers to switch to better energy deals, yet just 23 per cent of recipients say this information was included on their annual statement and was easy to find.

Annual energy statements are also designed to offer customers information on their current energy plan, their yearly consumption and how much they can expect to pay for their energy over the next year.

As part of the new research, uSwitch asked how annual energy statements could be improve. Not surprisingly, they found most consumers wanted information that would help them reduce their bills. Over half of those questioned, at 64 per cent, would like to see a table of all the current tariffs offered by their supplier and the annual cost, 56 per cent would like details of any discounts, such as direct debit discounts, and 46 per cent would like details of any grants available from their supplier and the eligibility criteria.

Ann Robinson, director of consumer policy at uSwitch.com, said: “Annual statements are a linchpin of Ofgem’s push to get the competitive energy market working properly, but consumers clearly don’t think they are coming up to scratch. The vast majority of households will have received an annual statement by now, but only 37 per cent recognise that they have done so. The statements appear to be poorly labelled, difficult to understand and do not stand out from ordinary energy bills. As far as consumers are concerned, annual statements as they currently stand are not fit for purpose.”

With stories of carbon monoxide poisoning hitting the media hard in recent weeks British Gas has stepped up its work to raise awareness about the dangers of the ‘silent killer’.

Energy UK’s carbon monoxide awareness campaign Be Alarmed! is being backed by the energy supplier British Gas to make more people aware of the dangers of carbon monoxide.

Carbon monoxide is produced when fuels containing carbon (like gas, oil, coal and wood) burn without enough air. And as it’s odourless, tasteless and invisible, it’s difficult to detect.

In order to keep safe, homeowners, businesses etc are being reminded of how important it is to keep heating appliances regularly maintained by a professional. It is also advised to have an audible CO alarm in properties as this can detect even the smallest amount of carbon monoxide before the levels become dangerous.

In fact, it was just such an alarm that saved singer Charlotte Church and her young family from a carbon monoxide danger earlier this month. The singer had an alarm installed in her home on her grandfather’s advice after suffering headaches and almost as soon as the work was done, the reason for her headaches became clear – a faulty boiler.

Steve Giblin, director of health, safety and environment for British Gas, said: “Raising awareness of carbon monoxide and highlighting the importance of ensuring appliances are regularly maintained is one of the ways we look after our customers’ worlds.

“That’s why it’s important to remember that when it comes to maintenance, it’s better to be safe than sorry and install an audible carbon monoxide alarm.”

Research by Be Alarmed! shows almost two thirds (65 per cent) of people in the UK could be at risk from carbon monoxide because they do not have an audible carbon monoxide alarm.

For more information on the campaign, visit www.co-bealarmed.co.uk

PM David Cameron

The UK Government has reduced funding for the Carbon Trust by 40 per cent, resulting in scores of redundancies and the cancellation of numerous energy-saving projects.

Established to “accelerate the move to a low-carbon economy”, the Carbon Trust is seen as Britain’s leading agency on the development of low-carbon technology and initiatives. The agency’s funding cut is expected to cost 35 jobs and has already resulted in the termination of grants to a biofuel project.

Chemical engineer Adam Harvey, of Newcastle University, noted: “The cut is very much against the claim of David Cameron and the Government that they would regenerate the UK’s economy via green technology – it’s the exact opposite in fact.”

Meanwhile, Ruth Davis, of Greenpeace, argued: “A key test of a leader’s commitment to fighting climate change is in the nuts and bolts work of ensuring Britain builds a high-tech clean energy economy. He [Prime Minister David Cameron] risks failing that test within a year of taking power.”

A spokesperson for the Department of Energy and Climate Change responded: “The Carbon Trust will continue to play an important role in the drive towards energy efficiency and supporting innovative low-carbon technologies and is being funded accordingly next financial year. At the same time we are acting across the board to ensure we get value for the taxpayer as part of tackling the deficit.”

The Carbon Trust’s funding cut comes less than a month after the Government halved the budget of the Energy Saving Trust, which provides free advice and financial help to members of the public who wish to cut their carbon footprint. The Carbon Trust provides a similar service to businesses, focusing on new technologies that could be used to improve energy efficiency.

Notwithstanding the cuts to the Carbon Trust and the Energy Saving Trust, households and businesses across Britain can reduce their carbon footprint by implementing various energy-saving measures. Old gas central heating boilers can be replaced with the latest, most energy efficient condensing boilers, whilst double glazing, loft insulation and the installation of solar panels can also help to reduce a building’s carbon emissions.

According to a National Grid report, which was not intended to be made public, millions of homes in the UK are being charged too much for gas due to inaccurate meters.

The leaked report suggested that almost all of the meters tested by the National Grid were found to suffer from “accuracy problems”, with one in six registering more gas consumption than in fact was being used.

The report estimated that the average gas central heating customer in Britain would pay an additional £26 per year as a result of the overcharging meters, handing millions of pounds to energy companies.

Ray Cope, formerly of the Gas Consumer Council, said: “The scale of the problem is disgraceful and it is clear from the report that there are potentially millions of defective meters out there.”

Mr Cope continued: “At a time when gas bills are soaring anyway and with the present financial pressures on people, consumers cannot afford to pay even more for their gas because their meter is inaccurate. Regulators Ofgem and the National Measurement Office must take immediate action to sort out this mess and replace the defective meters.”

The prospect of paying more for gas than is necessary, especially after the leading energy companies have demonstrated an unwillingness to pass wholesale fuel savings on to customers, is likely to cause upset across much of the UK, which is being hit hard by public spending cuts and a growth in unemployment and fuel poverty.

Of course, it is unlikely that all meters are overcharging by a significant margin. According to the National Grid’s report, the worst cases involved the U6 UGI Black Spot and the G4 Magnol Version 1 meters. In 2007, the National Grid tested almost 5,000 of their oldest or least efficient meters and discovered that more than 15 per cent breached the legal two per cent margin of error.

A spokesperson for the National Grid added: “This report is a business management tool and the meters tested were selected as being older or identified as being potentially inaccurate so that they could be prioritised for replacement. It is not representative of meters in the UK generally.”

The extent of gas usage in UK households has seen a dramatic fall over the past four years. The reduction is said to be a result of consumers taking on more energy efficiency measures.

The Centre for Economics and Business Research came up with the findings as part of a new major report for British Gas. As part of the study they examined 40 million meter readings of British Gas customers over  four years. Results show that there was an average 22 per cent drop in gas consumption.

The findings are good news, particularly in light of rising heating costs. Five of the’ Big Six’ utility companies have increased their prices.

As well as helping to save money switching to more energy efficient heating means less carbon emissions from homes.

Findings from the report have also revealed that between 2006 – 2010, homes that installed new insulation and energy efficient boilers reduced their gas use by 44 per cent.

Around a fifth of the UK’s gas market is represented by the report.

An estimated 3.3 million EDF Energy customers will start paying more for gas and electricity in spring.

It has been confirmed that the price hike will come into force in March, through the change has been expected for some months.

On average EDF Energy will raise its standard residential tariffs for gas bills by 6.5 per cent and electricity bills by 7.5 per cent.

According to uSwitch, the average household bill for a dual fuel EDF Energy customer will now go up from £1,046 to £1,118 – an increase of £72 a year.

All the other major energy suppliers have already introduced price increases, with Scottish Power implementing its hikes as early as November.

Just days after a Danish professor suggested that wood-burning stoves can cause heart disease and respiratory illness, a team of scientists from the Czech Republic has claimed that open coal fires can stunt the growth of children.

Published in the Archives of Paediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, the study analysed 1,133 children to conclude – after excluding various factors – that youngsters brought up in homes heated by open coal fires were, on average, 1.3 cm shorter by the age of three than those exposed to wood fires, electric heaters and gas central heating.

Although the study raises interesting questions about the safety of open coal fires from the perspective of human growth and development, it ought to be noted that children grow at vastly different rates and times; for instance, a child who is two cm shorter than another at three years of age may be several inches taller by adulthood.

To conclude that open coal fires stunt growth after an analysis of just 1,133 individuals over a very limited period of time might seem a stretch too far for many people, especially those who realise that it is almost impossible to accurately account for all environmental and genetic factors that could influence human growth over 36 months.

Nevertheless, the study does highlight the potential dangers of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are toxic chemicals released with the burning of fossil fuels such as coal.

Professor Irva Hertz-Picciotto said: “While the difference in height is not large, it does indicate that exposure to dirty fuel sources has an influence on basic processes associated with growth.”

The scientist added: “The negative impact of indoor air pollution from coal may extend beyond the respiratory system of children and indicate possible systemic affects. Coal smoke contains, among other types of chemicals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which may influence the production or activity of certain growth factors. Slower growth, particularly in early life, often is an indicator of poorer health or greater disease susceptibility. PAHs also are present in direct or second-hand tobacco smoke, emissions from the tailpipes of motor vehicles and smoke from most fires.”

The British Gas Home Energy Report has found that homes in the UK which have taken on measures such as loft and cavity wall insulation save over £300 each year.

The report was commissioned to help uncover the energy habits of British Gas customers. In light of the findings, the energy provider is advising households to install even basic energy efficiency measures.

British Gas says that £1 in every £4 spent heating our homes is wasted due to poor insulation.

According to the company, many customers are aware of how to make their homes more efficient, but know less about the savings they could make.

The Energy Report shows that British Gas customers who adopted simple energy efficiency measures, such as insulation and energy efficient boilers, saved an average of £322 each year. They also saw a 44 per cent fall in their gas use between 2006 and 2010 but some homes took no action at all.

The study was carried out by the Centre for Economic and Business Research, which analysed 40 million British Gas customer meter reads over a four year period.

British Gas has now launched a major new programme to insulate – for free – the homes of its dual fuel customers.

Dual fuel customers will get a free home insulation survey, and then a choice of either loft insulation or cavity wall insulation at no cost.

Gearoid Lane, managing director of British Gas New Markets, explained: “We want to help as many of our customers as possible reap the benefits of more energy efficient homes. That’s why we’re launching a national programme to give our dual fuel customers access to free cavity wall or loft insulation.

“Rising global energy prices needn’t mean higher bills for households. This report shows that many homes are already reducing their energy consumption and cutting bills, but we want all British Gas homes to enjoy the same benefit.”

Customers should register their interest at www.britishgas.co.uk/freeinsulation.