Getting buy in

Some excellent engineers and architects have designed and built homes which are not only reducing energy use and carbon emissions, but are also helping to tackle fuel poverty. But are the UK's housebuilders latching on to these new ideas? What do you think?

The building stock of this country is in dire need of a serious upgrade. While the government concentrates its carbon reduction efforts in the commercial sector, it is never going to hit targets for cutting emissions. The way we live has an enormous effect on the health of the planet.

If consumers could be persuaded to start demanding more from housebuilders, then it could make a huge difference to the UK's energy use and carbon emissions. People tend to react to the personal rather than the general. Saving the planet is a bit vague, and tends to fall into the mental category of 'someone else's problem'.

Buying a 'green' house also needs to be painless, risk free and with no added costs. Agreed, that's not easy. But making consumers think about the long-term benefits of lower energy bills could be a start. There is also a lot to be said for making this kind of home a more desirable property – there's nothing like appealing to our inner need to be better than the Jones's.

As ever, there is no point waiting for the construction industry to change for the better without some legislative encouragement. The government should toughen up its rules on new housing, and ensure that consumers are aware of what housebuilders should be offering in the way of greener homes.

We need to make consumers (that includes us, by the way) make the link between asking questions about environmental aspects of new homes, and a healthier environment for their children and grandchildren. At heart, most people would like to think that they're doing something good when they spend their money. Housebuilders could go a long way to making this happen.