Energy: The new hot topic for homes

Households are facing huge increases in fuel bills this winter as energy companies announce big price rises.

Increases of up to 25 per cent are being forecast by analysts as the price of domestic electricity and gas soars.

And it could lead to a change in the way we choose our homes with energy efficiency suddenly becoming as important as the nearest school or train station.

Jim McMillan is assistant development director with housing association Great Places which  has 300 new properties under construction across Greater Manchester.

He said: “Things are changing. People used to choose cars on how they looked, but now they look at fuel consumption and I think people will soon look at houses in the same way. Running costs are going to be very important.”

So how do you cut your energy bill?

Earlier this year work began on making 2,500 properties across Greater Manchester more energy efficient with improvements like solid wall insulation and new heating systems.

It’s a trial project with the cost of the work paid for by the housing association landlord, but it paves the way for the Coalition’s Green Deal which will target private homeowners to upgrade their own properties.

Under the deal, companies retro-fit improvements like cavity wall or solid wall insulation, triple glazed windows and new heating systems and get paid back through your energy supplier.

You may use the same amount each month, but greater efficiency means you spend less on fuel and a portion of your bill goes to pay for the work. If you move, the Green Deal payment stays with the property.

It’s a way of improving our old and inefficient housing stock without people incurring expense up-front.

But housing developers point out that it is far easier to buy a modern, new build property in the first place than try and plug an old and leaky one.

New builds are, on average, six times more efficient than existing homes meaning big savings year on year when it comes to fuel bills.

All now have to meet minimum standards with high levels of insulation and air tightness and have to pass an air pressure test when they are completed to conform to Building Regulations. A giant fan is placed in the entrance doorway and sealed and measurements taken of how much air leaks out of the house.

Jim explained: “There is only so much insulation that can go into a property and after that it is about keeping the building air tight.

Why an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)? — Clife

Before exchange your property, whenever you build, sold, rented or leased An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) is now the Legal requirement in the UK,Having an EPC Certificate for your property also proves out to be your advantage .For residential areas, you need to get a residential EPC and commercial areas need to commercial EPS as well as both have equal importance. From 1 October 2008, Landowner have a legal requirement to make available future tenants with a valid Energy Performance Certificate (EPC).

What are Energy Certificates? EPC provides a ranking for your home in its present situation and also a ranking for its potential if certain energy saving improvements are undertaken. The overall evaluation is based on a sliding scale of A to G, where A is the highest level (i.e. most efficient) and G (less energy efficient). EPCs give information on how to make your home more energy efficient and reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

Why an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)? Now a day’s global warming is big issue around the world. Planet is facing climate change issues. Some scientists believe that our behavior is the cause of it. Every one of us can contribute in small ways to reverse this trend, from turning the thermostat down to buying a more economical car. In this way we can help to protect the future of the planet The European Union has long been concerned about co2 emissions from properties and it’s affect on climate change, also concerned about the energy efficiency of the building situated in its member states. January 2003 the EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) was made public.

This directive will have a huge impact for awareness of residential properties or operations of commercial buildings as well as the development of new buildings. You can start reducing your carbon foot print and saving money by instructing an energy performance certificate for your residence or commercial place today.

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