Warning over green homes target

But without a radical shift in Government policy, the housing sector will not achieve its emissions reduction target of 31% by 2020, the study by conservation charity WWF said.

The report comes ahead of the launch of a series of initiatives this week by the Government aimed at helping people green their homes and save on fuel bills.

According to WWF, the Government's current policy concentrates on measures it considers to be "cost-effective", encouraging people to install technology such as cavity wall, loft and hot water insulation, draft proofing and energy efficient boilers.

But the How Low? Report said investment in a much wider range of measures including solid wall insulation and low-carbon technologies such as solar water heating and ground source heat pumps would be needed, and could deliver a 35% cut in emissions by 2020.

That would outstrip the 31% cut by for the residential housing stock set under the National Energy Efficiency Action Plan (NEEAP) - unlike current measures which would only deliver an estimated 22% cut even if all homes installed them, the study claimed.

With 27% of CO2 generated by the housing sector, a shift in policy could also help put the UK on course for hitting the tough emissions target of 80% reductions by 2050 currently being urged by environmentalists, the report said.

The Climate Change Bill proposes a 2050 emissions target of at least 60%, although that figure is under review.

Simon McWhirter, WWF-UK's One Planet Homes campaign manager, said: "Our homes are the low hanging fruit in terms of achieving the deep cuts we need in carbon emissions, but the Government is currently investing inadequate resources in inappropriate places.

"Its short term vision as to what energy efficient measure should be applied to our existing stock is leading to significant missed opportunities."