The Isle of Man Government has launched three initiatives to encourage the public to reduce their residential carbon emissions.
Geoffrey Boot MHK, Minister for Environment, Food and Agriculture, said:
‘Residential properties are the largest contributor to carbon emissions in the Island and alarmingly this figure is continuing to increase. The Isle of Man Government has recognised a climate change emergency and if we are to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050 then we must all start to make immediate changes to our lifestyles and in our homes.
‘We have launched a refreshed Energy Efficiency Scheme, a Retrofit Ideas Competition and an Energy Efficiency Survey Trial to increase the awareness of the ways in which residents can reduce their carbon emissions, with the support and guidance of the Isle of Man Government.’
The refreshed Energy Efficiency Scheme campaign has been launched and will aim to assist residents with their fuel bills and help reduce usage of fossil fuels. The Isle of Man Government will provide up to £1,000 towards home improvements to support this. Private renters or homeowners who earn £29,000 for a single person, or £43,000 combined for a jointly assessed couple can apply for the scheme online.
Expressions of interest are also being sought for an energy efficiency survey to trial air tightness testing in a range of different house types in the Isle of Man. An air tightness test measures the permeability of a building which will highlight the building’s energy efficiency and thermal performance. As air escapes from a house it takes the heat with it. Improving the airtightness, therefore, reduces the potential for heat to be lost, resulting in energy savings for the home occupier. Selected homes will receive a subsidy of £100 towards an air tightness test.
A Retrofit Ideas Competition to encourage local architects and others to generate ideas for how existing homes can be improved to use less energy has also been launched. The competition seeks new ideas for ‘up-grading’ buildings to create cost effective solutions for retrofitting properties on the Isle of Man to achieve Net Zero Emissions. The competition winner will receive £5,000 and will be announced at the Biosphere Awards in September.
Guidance from energy efficiency experts will be provided once an application form has been submitted.
Submissions for all three schemes can be sent to energysave@gov.im
Further information about these initiatives can be found by visiting www.gov.im/energy
