Why going green could make bill-payers mean

Householders, who make environmentally friendly changes to their property, could be saving so much on their utility bills, that they recoup on their initial outlay within three years.

Switching to energy saving light bulbs, for example, which last up to 12 times longer than normal light bulbs, save approximately £65 over their lifetime, due to the fact that they use 75 per cent less power.

Loft insulation to a depth of 270mm costs £300 but will save over £100 per year in heating costs.

Cavity wall insulation will cost about £500 but can save over £100 per year in heating costs.

Richard Al-Dabbagh, senior personal loans manager at Alliance and Leicester, says: "Nowadays more and more people are giving environmental considerations and their carbon footprints a higher priority.

"This includes trying to make their homes as energy efficient as possible. There are lots of diverse ways homeowners can try and make their homes greener but it all depends on how much people want to spend."

Homeowners are likely to welcome any means of saving money with inflation on the rise.

Mortgage payments and energy costs have gone up over the last 12 months, while the floods in the summer have also seen home insurance premiums increase.

25/11/2007 12:43:48