The Importance of Energy Efficiency
Energy Efficiency Action Plan
"Gas prices rising", "Increase of country's energy safety levels", "Fuels to become more expensive", "Energy resources are depleting", "A sudden climate change" - these are messages which make us realize how difficult it is to live without energy, and it is even more difficult to...find cheap energy.
European Commission has presented its Action Plan to improve energy efficiency in EU countries, which shows that at least 20% of energy costs the European Union 100 billion a year and simultaneously adds to further degradation of the environment. If no action is undertaken to turn around this trend, energy use will increase yet more by over 10% by the year 2015. The Commission in its Action Plan aims to limit energy use by 20%. For the average user, this means saving a few hundred PLN a year; for the environment CO2 emission limitation is of 780 million tons by year 2020, which fulfills the Kyoto protocol requirements.
We use about 40 percent of energy at home. We should use energy-saving heating appliances and lights, but the most crucial aspect is limiting the amount of heat escaping through walls and ceilings of our houses. In order to limit such ineffectiveness, attics, garrets and walls in buildings should be insulated. Specialists estimate that lack of proper insulation causes buildings to lose up to 30% of energy!
In the new financial perspective for the years 2007-2013 it has been predicted that 3 percent of European Union funds should be destined towards activities raising energy effectiveness. Unfortunately, the Polish government plans to allocate a much lower amount of funds towards aims related with environmental protection and the increase of competitiveness of the Polish economy. The Czech Republic - a country with a similar climate - plans to allocate 3 percent of European Union assistance funds. Lithuania - a country in close proximity to us, not only in terms of history - as much as 6 percent. Meanwhile, the Polish government and self-government authorities will transfer only about 0,9 percent of EU funds towards thermomodernization and improvement of energy effectiveness of buildings.