Tackling the energy efficiency of the nation's existing housing stock, which accounts for 27% of CO2 emissions, has the potential to provide a much needed boost to the UK economy and help householders to save hard-earned cash through reduced energy bills.

John Doggart Chairman of the Sustainable Energy Academy and member of the Existing Homes Alliance told delegates that a major retrofitting programme of £2bn a year could create up to 200,000 jobs and save the public purse around £1bn in benefit payments per year.

Whilst reducing the carbon footprint of existing homes can be achieved with relatively simple measures such as insulation and energy efficient lighting and heating systems, it is the scale which is crucial in making major inroads. In order to achieve the UK's 80% reduction target, the existing stock needs to be transformed at a rate of 500,000 units per year, delegates were told. This was echoed by Trevor Beattie, Corporate Director of the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), who said that scale was crucial and much can be learned from the decent homes programme.

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At the same time there is a need to transform the way we generate energy, giving much greater stake to individuals and communities. Referring to the example of Germany, Alan Simpson MP talked at length about the benefits of the feed-in tariff, which when introduced in the UK next year will have the potential to launch a renewable energy revolution.

Sarah Webb, CIH Chief Executive, said: "In times when household budgets are stretched to the limit and the recession biting hard, retrofitting our stock provides a unique opportunity to kickstart the 'green' economy. Examples from other European countries, most notably Germany have demonstrated that investment in the existing stock and low carbon energy is money well spent, leading to hundreds of thousands of new jobs, reducing fuels bills and helping to cut carbon."

(CD/JM)