The war on carbon emissions heats up

Prime Minister Gordon Brown meets trainee boiler engineers at the British Gas Energy Academy in Kent, after the Government announced discounts of £400 on new boilers for thousands of households.

Under the "scrappage" scheme, up to 125,000 households in England with the least efficient boilers, or "G" rated boilers, can apply for vouchers from the Energy Saving Trust towards "A" rated boilers or renewable heating systems.

The Government said the 50m scheme will save as much carbon as taking 45,000 cars off the roads, and will also cut a household's energy bill by up to 235 a year.

The average cost of a boiler and its installation is around 2,500, according to the heating industry.