The problem is easily stated: we have around 14 million homes in private ownership with collectively the worst environmental and energy performance of any country in Europe. But the solution is elusive, the blame game continues, and reaching anywhere near the country's carbon reduction targets clearly requires some urgent new thinking. I invite readers who are homeowners, registered to vote, and who work in the building industry to decide whether it is consumers, government or industry that has the most thinking to do, and then to sign up to do your bit in one or more of those roles to make it happen. For a start, how much did you pay for your new kitchen? Here's a familiar scenario. At home we had what we still call our "new kitchen" fitted 10 years ago. I came across the invoice the other day, and saw that even back then it cost us £8,800. Nothing fancy, no granite tops or hardwood drawer fronts. Just a serious five-figure price.
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