There's no doubt that moving into the world of being eco-friendly is becoming hugely popular. Due to new guidelines and restrictions being imposed on businesses and governments relating to greenhouse gas emissions and carbon footprints, financial incentives to go green are being made available.

     For example, the UK government has introduced a requirement for all homes being sold or rented to have an energy survey conducted. The certificate produced from the survey gives an indication of the current energy efficiency of the property, and the potential efficiency it could attain.

     There is currently no tax levied on energy inefficient homes. However, I'm sure that will soon change, and it will be something similar to the green tax on vehicles in the UK.

     However, if you made your home really energy efficient, you could be adding far more value on to the property compared with a standard renovation. The housing market is growing when it comes to eco-friendly homes. Although there might be initial expense with upgrading a home, in a few years you will easily make that back once the home is sold.

     If you want to run an eco-friendly business or make your home energy efficient, there are a surprising number of grants and special loans available to get you going. In many cases, the return from investing in green technologies is pretty small, but it will easily gather pace in the next 5 to 10 years.

     I hope that I've piqued your interest in going a little greener. If you're in the UK, I encourage you to look at the short list of resources I've compiled below. You might be able to benefit from a grant. So going green might be cheaper than you expect!

Green Grants Machine - latest news and information about funds for green UK initiatives.
Eco Financing - Grants available for green projects.
Energy Saving Trust - free independent advice on eco-friendly home improvements and available grants.


This article was written by Dan Harrison, who offers free eco-friendly tips and writes articles on the latest eco gadgets.