News emerges that more people than ever before will face financial pressures in the wake of increasing fuel bills, the call for household energy efficiency measures have never been greater.

With an average energy bill set to climb over £1400 in 2009 (from under £690 in 2005), the Government has given a commitment to help consumers improve household energy efficiency and permanently bring down energy bills.

Energy Efficient double glazing windows
As the nation waits for confirmation of where Government support will be given, many organisations are offering advice and guidance into where and how families can make changes that will cut their household energy costs.

Figures from the Energy Savings Trust suggest that if everyone undertook a number of simple measures including:

Fitting energy saving light bulbs, double glazed windows, installing a condensing boiler, cavity wall and loft insulation and jackets for hot water tanks, UK households could reduce energy bills by over £270 a year and save over £1.9bn in fuel costs.

Mid Wales representative said: ‘It is increasingly becoming apparent that current fuel price increases are set to have dramatic effects on many people’s household bills.

‘But making energy efficient changes, ahead of the winter months, could lead to savings of thousand’s of pound on future fuel bills – as well as adding to a house’s value. If people are considering making improvements we would urge them to look at the most energy efficient options.

‘Installing double glazing for example, cuts heat lost through windows by half. At Mid Wales Windows we fit the very latest energy saving PVC double glazing, which offers potential savings of over £110 per year per household’.

Greenpeace has welcomed European Commission proposals to put billions of euros of structural funding into installing double glazing windows and solar panels across Europe.

The Financial Times reports that the commission is expected to ask member states today (December 3rd) to allow local authorities to use EU funds to pay for energy-saving measures in low-income households, such as energy efficient windows.

According to the commission, the move would create new jobs, reduce energy consumption in Europe and bring down household bills.

Frauke Thies, of Greenpeace, said the plans were a big part of the European move towards using energy more efficiently.

She added: “For low-income households, energy costs are still making up a large share of the domestic budget.

“These sorts of households might hesitate to make investments in double glazing or putting in a more efficient boiler.”