Your self build could save 'tonnes of CO2'

Potential self builders who are concerned about the impact they have on the environment could save tonnes of CO2 by installing efficient insulation in the property, it has emerged.

By installing double-glazed windows the typical self build home could save half a tonne of CO2 each year, the Independent has claimed.

Wall insulation is reported to save 0.7 tonnes of CO2, while underfloor heating and insulation could save a further third of a tonne, it suggested.

Meanwhile, the author of the Housebuilder's Bible Mark Brinkley has claimed that ground source heat pumps work "very well" with new self builds, although he warned against using them in existing properties.

Research from the Freedonia Group predicted that heat pumps would account for almost half of the heating, ventilation and air conditioning market by 2011 - with the market estimated to be worth around 8.6 billion by that time.