Homeowners need to be made more aware of the benefits of making energy saving improvements to their properties, according to a green home expert.

The government is currently working on a scheme which could allow people to obtain £10,000 interest-free loans to make their homes more energy efficient and then pay the money back as they benefit from lower utility bills over the following years.

Richard Diment of the Federation of Master Builders used a speech at the recent Westminster Energy, Environment & Transport Forum to call for financial help to enable homeowners to make energy saving improvements, as part of a plan to improve the UK's existing housing stock.

Gordon Miller, founder of eco home website whatgreenhome.com, agrees that financial incentives are needed, as most people are more focused on money than climate change.

However, he believes that people would also be more inclined to make energy saving changes if they understood the full benefits.

"If people can see that they will save money on their energy bills, and in doing so reduce CO2 emissions and thus slow climate change, they will act," said Mr Miller.

He added that there is already some help available for homeowners interested in implementing energy saving measures, such as grants to contribute to the cost of installing renewable technologies.