LONDON (Reuters) - England's home owners will be able to fit their properties with energy-saving insulation at no upfront cost from the end of 2012 onwards, the government said yesterday.

Under a proposed plan called the "Green Deal", government-accredited insulation installers will make improvements such as loft or cavity wall insulation to homes and businesses for a fee, which homeowners or renters will pay in installments. The cost of each installment will be deducted from energy bills and will be limited to savings the homeowner makes from the insulation.

"At a time of increasing gas prices, energy efficiency is a no-brainer," Britain's Energy and Climate Change Minister Chris Huhne said yesterday.