Energy Use in Buildings: "Use it better, use it less"

On average, we spend 90% of our time inside buildings in Europe. The energy that we consume there accounts for 40% of total European Union consumption. That’s more than the share of industry and transport. But many buildings perform poorly in energy terms. That’s why a new European directive will come into force in January 2006. It will increase the requirements regarding energy performance in residential and office buildings in the whole of the European Union.