British homes are slowly becoming greener after a new report showed households are spending an average of more than £250 a year on
environmentally-friendly products.
The Co-operative Bank’s annual Ethical Consumerism Report revealed the money is mainly being exchanged for energy-saving lightbulbs and power-efficient appliances.
Despite the period of economic downturn, Britons spent more than £6.4 billion in 2008 on green products and energy - an increase of five per cent on the previous year.
Alongside lightbulbs, energy-efficient boilers were the item which most money was spent on - although green transportation also noted a significant increase in cash outlay.
However, Tim Franklin, the Co-operative Bank’s chief operating officer, sounded a warning of just how far the country has to go before it can be considered truly green.
"In order for the UK to reduce its carbon emissions by 30 per cent by 2020 there will need to be a step-change in take-up of low-carbon technologies and this will need a new contract between business, government and the consumer," he said.
Mr Franklin called the report a "timely reminder," coming as it does during the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference.
Another area which has experienced a surge in investment is carbon offsetting - a priority particularly for businesses.
What appears to be becoming clear to many UK homeowners is that small and
cheap energy saving and creating techniques can make a significant difference in the overall battle to go green, according to the results of the report.
Friends of the Earth last week stated its belief that as much as six per cent of the UK's total energy requirement could be met by small-scale green operations such as solar panels and rooftop wind turbines.
Dave Timms, energy campaigner for the environmental organisation, stated that such methods could slash the amount of non-renewable energy consumed in the country by 2020 if implemented by the government.
