The global environmental organisation, which proposed the plans to offer householders incentives to become more energy efficient in 2007, welcomes the Department of Finance's current consultation to offer rates rebates for energy efficiency measures and a rates holiday for zero carbon homeowners.

"£1 in every £3 spent on heating in the UK is lost through poor insulation. We estimate that around 70,000 homes in Northern Ireland could benefit from cavity wall insulation and hundreds of thousands more from improved roof insulation," said Sara McClintock, Communications Manager, WWF Northern Ireland.

"These proposals come at a time when we need to urgently cut carbon emissions in order to tackle climate change. We're also living in a credit crunch world where rising energy costs are the norm for Northern Ireland households. Let's hope these energy efficiency incentives can provide the 'carrot' for homeowners to move towards a more sustainable future." said Sara McClintock.