The government has this week backed secondary legislation that will greenlight an energy efficiency market as part of the much-vaulted Green Deal, that will see a programme introduced to help bill payers make energy-efficient improvements to their home.

According to the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), leaky homes are a primary contributor to the UK's total greenhouse gas emissions, with inefficient insulation and insufficient double-glazing resulting in 43 per cent of the country's carbon costs.

With many homes worrying about mounting energy prices, it's vital they plug the gaps and introduce energy-efficient measures to ensure the energy they do use is heating and lighting their homes efficiently.

As a result of the initiative, the Green Deal hopes to introduce policies - namely energy supplier subsidies and extra financial help for those especially in need of such improvements - that will help get the country insulated.

However, as advocacy group Sustain Worldwide has stressed, although the secondary motion of the Green Deal is a positive step, more needs to be done to battle carbon emissions and lower energy costs in both the UK and in Europe.

"Sometimes, legislation as well as incentives are required for a greater societal good," said co-founder and communications director for Sustain Worldwide, Gordon Miller. "What's important is not that the Green Deal per se is a success, but that equitable and balanced mechanisms to reduce the nation's carbon impact and stimulate sustainable economic growth are put in place.

"Not all aspects of the Green Deal address those challenges."

But while the government, energy suppliers and green building industries thrash out the details of the Deal, there are a few steps homeowners can be taking around their property to reduce their personal carbon impact without a significant outlay - and one of those is by installing LED lighting.

Simply replacing incandescent bulbs with GU10 LED equivalents will reduce energy usage while providing the same level of brightness, and, while the initial outlay is more than that of a standard lightbulb, the impact on your home's bills will mean the bulb will pay for itself within a few months.