Hull tops energy efficiency poll

Hull's homes are the most energy-efficient in Britain, according to a survey released today.

The survey by British Gas ranks 25 cities according to how energy efficient their households are. It found London residents are the least energy efficient, with households in the London borough of Kingston-upon-Thames wasting the most energy.

Homes in Glasgow, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Portsmouth ranked highly, while Birmingham, Derby and Nottingham came alongside London at the bottom.

Figures from the Department for Food, Rural Affairs and the Environment show that households alone account for 28% of total UK CO2 emissions. And while new homes are built according to energy-efficient regulations, British Gas says that simple measures such as cavity-wall and loft insulation could cut CO2 emissions from the UK's estimated 25m homes by 52%.

Managing director of British Gas, Phil Bentley, said: "For every £3 we spend heating our homes £1 is wasted because of poor insulation.

"While strict standards on new builds are needed, most of the energy being consumed is in the ageing homes we live in today. Making changes in these properties will give us the biggest carbon-emission reductions."

The results of the survey were compiled from British Gas's free energy-audit. Around 1.5m households took part in the nationwide Energy Savers exercise earlier this year.

Households were given an energy-efficiency rating from A to F, with A being the most efficient.

The rating was determined by the property's location, construction and heating characteristics, and takes into account energy-efficient measures already installed in the property.

Last year, the same survey found most (65%) homes rated D or worse while the average grade in the audit was also D.

This year's grade remained the same, but a British Gas spokeswoman said the survey had revealed a behavioural change: "We've definitely seen a change in people's attitudes. Far more people are taking action, and it's not necessarily with more insulation or new boilers."

She added: "More people say they are turning off appliances rather than leaving them on standby, and turning down their themostat. There is a 10% increase in people who are doing these things."

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