What causes it?

Insulating both cavity walls and lofts can save a household up to £200 every year in heating costs. [1]

It's now generally accepted that emitting carbon dioxide (CO₂) into the atmosphere is the main cause of climate change. CO₂ absorbs the sun rays and the energy it radiates heats up the Earth. This is commonly known as the "Greenhouse Effect" - although it's actually got nothing to do with the way a greenhouse heats up. CO₂ is referred to a greenhouse gas. There are others like methane, but CO₂ his regarded as the most important and one which we can do something about reducing.

Greenhouse gases are a natural part of our atmosphere (they keep Earth from freezing). Water is actually a greenhouse gas, but it's not one which is particularly influenced by man's behaviour and so it doesn't contribute to global warming. The real danger comes from the use of fossil fuels which is upsetting the natural balance of these gases.

Burning fossil fuels to provide energy for our homes, transport and manufacturing increases the amount of CO₂ - and all this extra CO₂ absorbs the sun rays and contributes towards global warming which leads to climate change.

Power stations and domestic appliances that burn fossil fuels create the largest amount of CO₂. Although there is a lot of publicity around greenhouse gases produced by aeroplanes, 40% of all CO₂ produced by man is from heating and lighting buildings.

To see where and how CO₂ is being emitted in your area - visit the National Atmospheric Emission Inventory and enter your postcode.

¹ Costs and paybacks are approximate and are based on a gas heated semi-detached house with 3 bedrooms. Installed costs assume that installation is undertaken by a professional installer and are subjected to a discount from an energy supplier. Savings assume a gas price of 2.57p/kWh.
Source: Energy Saving Trust 2007