Energy efficiency a ‘herculean’ task

A study by the Economic and Social Research Council has said making existing homes energy efficient was a ‘herculean’ task and required radical action to bring about a 60 per cent reduction in carbon emissions by 2050. The research calculated that to reduce emissions from existing homes by 40 per cent would require work to nearly 24 million buildings, and to complete the task within 40 years would need to refurbish an area the size of Cambridge every month. The study also found that energy saving devices do not always increase efficiency in a way that was expected.