Happenned to be listening to Jeremy Vine on Radio 2 lunchtime today, with lots of talk about energy saving hints & tips. I guess you can catch it on iPlayer to hear the whole debate.
Most of what they were saying is information that we have said here many times before
# make sure your home is well insulated
# make sure your appliances are efficient
# check if you can get grants before embarking on any new / upgrade installations (a good place to check this is on the excellent energy saving trust website, where they have a grantfinder to highlight your options)
# make sure you use properly trained and accredited companies to undertake any installation work. Traditional central heating boilers can only be worked on by registered gas safe (Corgi) fitters. The newer technologies (solar panels, PV, wind turbines) are not yet as regulated allowing some unscruulous operators in at the moment.
# be sure the outlay and payback makes sense for you, even if mitigated by carbon neutral or green aspirations.
The other thing that came out in the discussion was the movement in tariffs. As winter approaches we will all start using more fuel, so as well as optimising your usage, make sure you are on the best deal from your supplier - and usually the only way you can get this is to switch.
It was nice to hear some of the debate coming into the mainstream (if Radio 2 counts as mainstream) and to hear endorsement for the ideas I have been outlining through this blog.
As a practicing Energy assessor I do have a vested interest to follow these things, and if you live in the Surrey or SW London area and think I can help, please get in touch.
Friday 1 October 2010
Wednesday 29 September 2010
Sell your energy
Heard about making money by generating your own electricity? Let's try & put this into perspective.
Utility companies are required to source a percentage of their energy from renewable energy providers, to assist in cutting carbon dioxide emissions. Energy companies will buy the surplus electricity created from a Solar PV system as this helps the energy supplier to meet their requirement.
During daylight hours, the electricity generated by the Solar Photovoltaic (solar PV) system will supply the home and any energy produced which is not required will be sold to the nominated electricity supplier through an approved import/export meter. During periods of high energy use in the home, or when the Solar PV system is unproductive, electricity can be bought back from the network to supplement the Solar PV power supply.
If you are considering installing or have had a renewable technology commissioned which creates electricity, such as a Solar Photovoltaic Electricity, it is likely you will be able to get paid for the electricity it generates. Most of the major utility providers offer a buy back scheme which can often be easy and quick to join.
How do you get paid? - via a teriff, or fee for the electricity you generate. there are two types of tariff to consider
Export Tariffs - You will only be paid for the electricity generated that is exported back to the National Grid and therefore not used in the property.
Generation Tariffs - You will be paid for all the electricity that you generate, regardless whether it is used in the property, this is usually a lower tariff than the export tariff.
To ensure you chose the right package for your needs, carefully check the details with each utility provider to ensure it is the correct buy back tariff for you and it meets your needs.
There are other points to consider relating to the newly introduced Feed in Tariffs (FITs) and Renewable Obligation Certificates, but that's for another day.
As always, before embarking on any implementation of such you should take considered advice from experts. In terms of the efficiencies of making these installations in your home, an Energy adviser should be able to help. The Utility companies will be able to advise on tariffs in your area.
finally a word of warning. some of the less reputable installation companies are now offering free installation of PV or solar hot water to give you improved energy use in your home. BUT... you would typically sign over to them the tariff payments for future electricity you generate from the installation, and in the long run, this will make you more money than the cost savings on offer, so consider such things very carefully.
Utility companies are required to source a percentage of their energy from renewable energy providers, to assist in cutting carbon dioxide emissions. Energy companies will buy the surplus electricity created from a Solar PV system as this helps the energy supplier to meet their requirement.
During daylight hours, the electricity generated by the Solar Photovoltaic (solar PV) system will supply the home and any energy produced which is not required will be sold to the nominated electricity supplier through an approved import/export meter. During periods of high energy use in the home, or when the Solar PV system is unproductive, electricity can be bought back from the network to supplement the Solar PV power supply.
If you are considering installing or have had a renewable technology commissioned which creates electricity, such as a Solar Photovoltaic Electricity, it is likely you will be able to get paid for the electricity it generates. Most of the major utility providers offer a buy back scheme which can often be easy and quick to join.
How do you get paid? - via a teriff, or fee for the electricity you generate. there are two types of tariff to consider
Export Tariffs - You will only be paid for the electricity generated that is exported back to the National Grid and therefore not used in the property.
Generation Tariffs - You will be paid for all the electricity that you generate, regardless whether it is used in the property, this is usually a lower tariff than the export tariff.
To ensure you chose the right package for your needs, carefully check the details with each utility provider to ensure it is the correct buy back tariff for you and it meets your needs.
There are other points to consider relating to the newly introduced Feed in Tariffs (FITs) and Renewable Obligation Certificates, but that's for another day.
As always, before embarking on any implementation of such you should take considered advice from experts. In terms of the efficiencies of making these installations in your home, an Energy adviser should be able to help. The Utility companies will be able to advise on tariffs in your area.
finally a word of warning. some of the less reputable installation companies are now offering free installation of PV or solar hot water to give you improved energy use in your home. BUT... you would typically sign over to them the tariff payments for future electricity you generate from the installation, and in the long run, this will make you more money than the cost savings on offer, so consider such things very carefully.
Friday 24 September 2010
Trick yourself warmer
as the weather takes on a decidedly Autumnal feel, it's natural to think about how to stay warm.
In terms of your house, then insulation, particularly in the loft is the obvious place to start. current best practice os for a minimum of 250mm (10inches) of standard insulation, so check what you've got and top it up. remember to leave an air space at the eaves though, air must be able to circulate or you could create problems of damp or condensation.
Why not insulate yourself, putting on a jumper is infinitely more cost effective than turning on/up the heating, so get that winter wardrobe dusted down.
Finally - trick yourself warm. Psychologically if you can see a naked flame, you WILL feel warmer, so light a candle. It brightens up the decor in a room, and makes you feel better and has more or less no energy impact.
In terms of your house, then insulation, particularly in the loft is the obvious place to start. current best practice os for a minimum of 250mm (10inches) of standard insulation, so check what you've got and top it up. remember to leave an air space at the eaves though, air must be able to circulate or you could create problems of damp or condensation.
Why not insulate yourself, putting on a jumper is infinitely more cost effective than turning on/up the heating, so get that winter wardrobe dusted down.
Finally - trick yourself warm. Psychologically if you can see a naked flame, you WILL feel warmer, so light a candle. It brightens up the decor in a room, and makes you feel better and has more or less no energy impact.
Friday 17 September 2010
A Kettle for your thoughts
Well, summer is over, the morning and evenings are cooling down, schools are in and students will be going back to University in the next couple of weeks, so no more excuses, time to get back into blogland.
So here's a quick thing to get the ball rolling as it were.
We had occasion to buy a new kettle the other day, nothing particular here, the old one had served us well and just gave up the ghost. Now I'm not going to tell you that I have found an eco friendly green alternative for the humble domestic kettle, but rather to comment on a leaflet that was in the box - this was hints and tips on how you should use the kettle in a 'green' way. The main thing here was obviously only boil as much water as you need - don't fill the kettle to the top every time you use it. what brought this home to me though was the additional information - if everyone in the UK only boiled the water they needed the saving would provide the power to light all UK streetlights for seven months - WOW. It also said that if you only boil the water you need, then you could save up to 66% energy - which would pay for the kettle within a year!
It's also nice to see the manufacturers taking a responsible attitude on such things and 'spreading the word'
My work as an energy assessor looks at the bigger aspects of home energy efficiency, but these little sometimes make just as much impact.
So the next time you boil that kettle.......
So here's a quick thing to get the ball rolling as it were.
We had occasion to buy a new kettle the other day, nothing particular here, the old one had served us well and just gave up the ghost. Now I'm not going to tell you that I have found an eco friendly green alternative for the humble domestic kettle, but rather to comment on a leaflet that was in the box - this was hints and tips on how you should use the kettle in a 'green' way. The main thing here was obviously only boil as much water as you need - don't fill the kettle to the top every time you use it. what brought this home to me though was the additional information - if everyone in the UK only boiled the water they needed the saving would provide the power to light all UK streetlights for seven months - WOW. It also said that if you only boil the water you need, then you could save up to 66% energy - which would pay for the kettle within a year!
It's also nice to see the manufacturers taking a responsible attitude on such things and 'spreading the word'
My work as an energy assessor looks at the bigger aspects of home energy efficiency, but these little sometimes make just as much impact.
So the next time you boil that kettle.......
Tuesday 27 July 2010
Feed in Tariffs
Phew, a busy few weeks, but am glad to be back in blogland again.
Feed in Tariffs (or FITS) what are they and what have they to do with energy efficiency ?
In simple terms, they are incentive payments from the government for people who generate their own electricity, so if you have photovoltaics or solar panels installed you should be eligible for these payments. The change since April this year, is that you now get these payments even if you use the electiricity yourself.
So, you save money by not using power supplied by the National Grid, you can even make money if you have surplus power, by selling back to the National Grid. You make money because you receive the FITS payment for being a micro power generator, which is index linked for the next 20+ years.
What's the downside? The capital outlay for whatever form of micro generation you are installing, as well as the aesthetic impact on your property of these installations.
Want to find out more? I could say look at the national press for adverts from green energy providers, undoubtedly they will be delighted to give you lots of information, but ultimately they are trying to sell you their solution so may not be the best place to start. The Energy Saving trust website is usually packed with all sorts of information that will help your research - so why not start there.
If you get to the point where you are serious, don't forget your local planning office. Regulations are much more straightforward now, so they should be pleased to help.
So what's the final word? If you are interested in green energy, the incentives have never been better, but you still need to assess that it is an investment you want to make because the initial outlay can be expensive. even if you typically could save/earn £700+ per annum from your installation that is probably at least a 10 year payback on your investment.
Feed in Tariffs (or FITS) what are they and what have they to do with energy efficiency ?
In simple terms, they are incentive payments from the government for people who generate their own electricity, so if you have photovoltaics or solar panels installed you should be eligible for these payments. The change since April this year, is that you now get these payments even if you use the electiricity yourself.
So, you save money by not using power supplied by the National Grid, you can even make money if you have surplus power, by selling back to the National Grid. You make money because you receive the FITS payment for being a micro power generator, which is index linked for the next 20+ years.
What's the downside? The capital outlay for whatever form of micro generation you are installing, as well as the aesthetic impact on your property of these installations.
Want to find out more? I could say look at the national press for adverts from green energy providers, undoubtedly they will be delighted to give you lots of information, but ultimately they are trying to sell you their solution so may not be the best place to start. The Energy Saving trust website is usually packed with all sorts of information that will help your research - so why not start there.
If you get to the point where you are serious, don't forget your local planning office. Regulations are much more straightforward now, so they should be pleased to help.
So what's the final word? If you are interested in green energy, the incentives have never been better, but you still need to assess that it is an investment you want to make because the initial outlay can be expensive. even if you typically could save/earn £700+ per annum from your installation that is probably at least a 10 year payback on your investment.
Wednesday 7 July 2010
Heat Rises
In one of my recent missives, I was talking about natural convection and heat rising through a house.
This prompted a question asking whether removing loft insulation in summer was a good idea?
I think this is probably very impractical for 99% of houses, but it did get me thinking. I was in fact up in the loft space the other day and even though(as you might expect) I have a well insulated loft ther heat in the roof space was still quite high. This can be caused by two things, the obvious one is that heat is being convected into the roof space by sunlight coming on to the roof, here the insulation in the floor of the loft will act as a barrier and stop this heat going down into the house. Otherwise natural convection in the house means that through the day, heat will still find a way to rise through gaps around loft hatches and the like.
If we believe that hot air will rise and you do want to do something about this, then perhaps another alternative is to install a couple of Velux style windows in your loft. Opening these during the day, particularly later in the day, when heat has built up, would allow the heat to dissipate.
In economic terms it is probably hard to justify this investment, unless you do want daylight in your loft space, but as a theoretical muse it is worth a thought.
As a practicing energy consultant, it behoves me to have these lateral thoughts from time to time - now, how can I find an energy efficient way of dispelling heat from my greenhouse?????
This prompted a question asking whether removing loft insulation in summer was a good idea?
I think this is probably very impractical for 99% of houses, but it did get me thinking. I was in fact up in the loft space the other day and even though(as you might expect) I have a well insulated loft ther heat in the roof space was still quite high. This can be caused by two things, the obvious one is that heat is being convected into the roof space by sunlight coming on to the roof, here the insulation in the floor of the loft will act as a barrier and stop this heat going down into the house. Otherwise natural convection in the house means that through the day, heat will still find a way to rise through gaps around loft hatches and the like.
If we believe that hot air will rise and you do want to do something about this, then perhaps another alternative is to install a couple of Velux style windows in your loft. Opening these during the day, particularly later in the day, when heat has built up, would allow the heat to dissipate.
In economic terms it is probably hard to justify this investment, unless you do want daylight in your loft space, but as a theoretical muse it is worth a thought.
As a practicing energy consultant, it behoves me to have these lateral thoughts from time to time - now, how can I find an energy efficient way of dispelling heat from my greenhouse?????
Thursday 1 July 2010
Low energy bulbs
Very interesting article in the national press today, saying that prices for low energy bulbs are going to jump at the end of the year. Why? because the subsidies that the big utility companies have been getting and passing on to the large retail outlets is going to stop.
The article went on to say that priority should / will be given to subsidising insulation solutions as this is seen as the most effective short term solution to reduce energy costs in running your home.
Based on my experience as a practicing Energy assessor, I would say that most people do think in terms of out of sight out of mind as far as loft space is concerned. A little extra lagging here can make a big difference, so the strategy is probably right. Low-E bulbs are now accepted as here to stay, so don't need the same 'push' to get them going and improving loft or wall insulation will produce better results than blanket use of low-e bulbs anyway.
However..... Forewarned is forearmed, buy a few low-e bulbs before Christmas, it gives you a couple of spares and you get them before the price hike.
The article went on to say that priority should / will be given to subsidising insulation solutions as this is seen as the most effective short term solution to reduce energy costs in running your home.
Based on my experience as a practicing Energy assessor, I would say that most people do think in terms of out of sight out of mind as far as loft space is concerned. A little extra lagging here can make a big difference, so the strategy is probably right. Low-E bulbs are now accepted as here to stay, so don't need the same 'push' to get them going and improving loft or wall insulation will produce better results than blanket use of low-e bulbs anyway.
However..... Forewarned is forearmed, buy a few low-e bulbs before Christmas, it gives you a couple of spares and you get them before the price hike.
Tuesday 29 June 2010
It's getting hot
Phew! Down here in the South it's getting hot, which can make for uncomfortable conditions, both indoors and out.
You can't really influence outdoor conditions very much, but before you run for the cooling fans indoors, here's a couple of things to think about.
Unless you have the luxury of full aircon, everything else is about creating the illusion of cooling and that means movement of air. A fan is just moving air about, but that movement makes you feel a little bit cooler.
Fans today are very low powered, so you don't have to pay too much to achieve a little comfort, however it is still using power, so are there alternatives?
I recently attended a seminar, where they talked about natural ventilation, this is air movement along a corridor, so if you create that corridor, you will get some air movement and achieve the fan effect for free. Ideally you will have a room with a double aspect, open windows at both ends and, depending on prevailing weather you will get an air pull through the room.
Convection (hot air rising) can also help this effect. especially in the evening, when the outdoor temperature begins to cool, open ground floor windows, leave internal doors open and upstairs windows open, this should allow the hot air, built up in the building through the day to gradually escape through the upstairs, sucking cooler air into the lower floor.
I saw this in America many years ago, where they had something called an 'attic fan' installed. This was a large propeller like device, installed in the roofspace and vented to outside through the gable end of the house. all doors had air gaps deliberately left to allow air movement and downstairs windows were fitted with trickle vents. when the fan was on it pushed out the hotter air, creating a vacuum to suck cooler outside air into the house - quite effective too.
I wouldn't go as far as such an installation, but letting the air move about can make a big difference to the comfort inside the house - and it doesn't cost you anything, so open up the internal space and allow the house to breathe.
You can't really influence outdoor conditions very much, but before you run for the cooling fans indoors, here's a couple of things to think about.
Unless you have the luxury of full aircon, everything else is about creating the illusion of cooling and that means movement of air. A fan is just moving air about, but that movement makes you feel a little bit cooler.
Fans today are very low powered, so you don't have to pay too much to achieve a little comfort, however it is still using power, so are there alternatives?
I recently attended a seminar, where they talked about natural ventilation, this is air movement along a corridor, so if you create that corridor, you will get some air movement and achieve the fan effect for free. Ideally you will have a room with a double aspect, open windows at both ends and, depending on prevailing weather you will get an air pull through the room.
Convection (hot air rising) can also help this effect. especially in the evening, when the outdoor temperature begins to cool, open ground floor windows, leave internal doors open and upstairs windows open, this should allow the hot air, built up in the building through the day to gradually escape through the upstairs, sucking cooler air into the lower floor.
I saw this in America many years ago, where they had something called an 'attic fan' installed. This was a large propeller like device, installed in the roofspace and vented to outside through the gable end of the house. all doors had air gaps deliberately left to allow air movement and downstairs windows were fitted with trickle vents. when the fan was on it pushed out the hotter air, creating a vacuum to suck cooler outside air into the house - quite effective too.
I wouldn't go as far as such an installation, but letting the air move about can make a big difference to the comfort inside the house - and it doesn't cost you anything, so open up the internal space and allow the house to breathe.
Friday 18 June 2010
EPC Results
Seems like the housing market is beginning to move a little again, so I have been out and about assessing some properties. It's worth pointing out a couple, just to highlight some things.
Let's think about a relatively new flat, in a purpose built block. Good double glazing, flat's abouve and below. Not much room to do anything here, recent building regulations will mean that the structure of the block is well insulated already. As expected this returns a good rating of Band C, with some option to move up to Band B, by uprating the CH boiler - probably not worth it until the boiler needs changing.
The second property is an older chalet bungalow, where the owner is passionate about energy saving - very refreshing - here there is plenty scope, increase loft insulation, upgrade to double glazing, possibly cavity wall insulation (although this should always be subject to a full survey to ensure no likely problems with damp). But if this property is up for sale, why would / should the current owner make that investment?
That's the conundrum. I don't believe a significant number of buyers are reading IN DETAIL the EPC reports provided by the seller, they may see the graphs in the estate agent's particulars, but won't dig deeper. If there is a big gap between the two sets of arrows on the graph, then that means there is big potential to improve things, and if you are a buyer, looking at this content MIGHT give you leverage in your negotiations.
My professional responsibility is to the seller of the property, they pay the bills, but the people who stand to gain most from my survey are the potential buyer. So any buyers out there, if you need help to interpret an EPC report or want some advice on it's content, please get in touch, I'd be delighted to offer some consultancy to help - the great thing about the EPC report is that it is very formulaic, so even if I don't produce a specific report, it's very easy for me to interpret any report.
With the recent demise of HIPs, of course more change to get more buyer engagement in the EPC process is highly unlikely in the near future. I guess I'm just happy to see a bit of movement in the market again.
Surrey Energy Consultants is a small independant consultancy working in Surrey and SW London, if you think we can help, please give us a call.
Let's think about a relatively new flat, in a purpose built block. Good double glazing, flat's abouve and below. Not much room to do anything here, recent building regulations will mean that the structure of the block is well insulated already. As expected this returns a good rating of Band C, with some option to move up to Band B, by uprating the CH boiler - probably not worth it until the boiler needs changing.
The second property is an older chalet bungalow, where the owner is passionate about energy saving - very refreshing - here there is plenty scope, increase loft insulation, upgrade to double glazing, possibly cavity wall insulation (although this should always be subject to a full survey to ensure no likely problems with damp). But if this property is up for sale, why would / should the current owner make that investment?
That's the conundrum. I don't believe a significant number of buyers are reading IN DETAIL the EPC reports provided by the seller, they may see the graphs in the estate agent's particulars, but won't dig deeper. If there is a big gap between the two sets of arrows on the graph, then that means there is big potential to improve things, and if you are a buyer, looking at this content MIGHT give you leverage in your negotiations.
My professional responsibility is to the seller of the property, they pay the bills, but the people who stand to gain most from my survey are the potential buyer. So any buyers out there, if you need help to interpret an EPC report or want some advice on it's content, please get in touch, I'd be delighted to offer some consultancy to help - the great thing about the EPC report is that it is very formulaic, so even if I don't produce a specific report, it's very easy for me to interpret any report.
With the recent demise of HIPs, of course more change to get more buyer engagement in the EPC process is highly unlikely in the near future. I guess I'm just happy to see a bit of movement in the market again.
Surrey Energy Consultants is a small independant consultancy working in Surrey and SW London, if you think we can help, please give us a call.
Wednesday 16 June 2010
Ground Source Heat Pumps
Read an interesting article about Ground Source heat pumps the other day which got me thinking....
The basic premise of a ground source heat pump is that the below surface temperature in the earth is fairly constant, and by tapping into this you can use the ambient heat to heat domestic water for your home heating system (or conversly, use it as a cooler in the summer months). I won't go into the mechanics of it all, but at least in terms of carbon footprint it could be a partial solution for a lot of homes.
I guess people are put off the concept by the thought of large tranches of their gardens being dug up, which is fair enough - although one could argue that green stuff grows back pretty quickly - probably one for consideration if you were about to undergo a bit of serious landscaping.
Anyway, if we take this thought process laterally, then there are other areas where we are maybe missing a trick. As summer approaches we are closing in onto the major music festival season too. In places where there are effectively permanent showgrounds or even fields that need complete attention after each festival event, why don't the organisers think about burying the pipework for ground source heating. All the other componenture can be brought in as mobile equipment, hook it up, flush the pipework and you have on-site eco friendly warm water for all manner of uses on site.
Same logic could apply to camp sites or caravan parks. bury the pipework in the off season, and you have ready made eco-heating ahead of the next season.
If more organisers started to think laterally and go the extra mile, then it would make a difference to UK reaching it's carbon targets in 2016.
Now, I'm off into London this afternoon, so maybe transport is the next area for a bit of rumination.....
The basic premise of a ground source heat pump is that the below surface temperature in the earth is fairly constant, and by tapping into this you can use the ambient heat to heat domestic water for your home heating system (or conversly, use it as a cooler in the summer months). I won't go into the mechanics of it all, but at least in terms of carbon footprint it could be a partial solution for a lot of homes.
I guess people are put off the concept by the thought of large tranches of their gardens being dug up, which is fair enough - although one could argue that green stuff grows back pretty quickly - probably one for consideration if you were about to undergo a bit of serious landscaping.
Anyway, if we take this thought process laterally, then there are other areas where we are maybe missing a trick. As summer approaches we are closing in onto the major music festival season too. In places where there are effectively permanent showgrounds or even fields that need complete attention after each festival event, why don't the organisers think about burying the pipework for ground source heating. All the other componenture can be brought in as mobile equipment, hook it up, flush the pipework and you have on-site eco friendly warm water for all manner of uses on site.
Same logic could apply to camp sites or caravan parks. bury the pipework in the off season, and you have ready made eco-heating ahead of the next season.
If more organisers started to think laterally and go the extra mile, then it would make a difference to UK reaching it's carbon targets in 2016.
Now, I'm off into London this afternoon, so maybe transport is the next area for a bit of rumination.....
Thursday 10 June 2010
WOOD you believe it
Our local sawmill (Norbury Wood products - www.norburywood.org.uk) had it's annual open day last weekend, so I went along to see what they were up to. This is a spin-off from Surrey Council, now part of Surrey Wildlife Trust, that is sustainably managing some local woodland and working as a small cash generator for the charity by producing high quality signage and garden furniture, lot's of information on their website, so I won't dwell on it here.
However, from an energy / efficiency point of view it is a well thought out setup.
The nature of their business, where they are processing raw felled trees into meaningful product means that there is a lot of wood wastage on site,but they deal with this intelligently.
They are working with a local woodsman who produces charcoal, so some of the waste naturally services his requirements for raw material to go into his charcoal burners - waste from one business becomes raw material for another.
The other, more interesting aspect of what they do is to use a lot of their wastage to fuel a wood burning boiler which services the kilns they use to treat and dry green timber before manufacturing from it. Naturally, green timber would need to sit for a number of years before it was dry enough to work as processed wood for furniture & the like, so to speed up this process to a number of months, the sawmill stores the wood they want to work in kilns, fed by this boiler, which accelerate the drying time. Again an example of their business gaining from intelligent usage of their waste product. The running costs for these kilns must be close to Nil, and compared to waste removal costs are certainly more carbon friendly.
They also process their sawdust wastage, which is used as bedding by a local farmer for his livestock.
So apart from being an interesting day seeing all the big machinery at work, it's nice to see a business thinking through it's processes to be as eco friendly as is reasonable. Very good.
However, from an energy / efficiency point of view it is a well thought out setup.
The nature of their business, where they are processing raw felled trees into meaningful product means that there is a lot of wood wastage on site,but they deal with this intelligently.
They are working with a local woodsman who produces charcoal, so some of the waste naturally services his requirements for raw material to go into his charcoal burners - waste from one business becomes raw material for another.
The other, more interesting aspect of what they do is to use a lot of their wastage to fuel a wood burning boiler which services the kilns they use to treat and dry green timber before manufacturing from it. Naturally, green timber would need to sit for a number of years before it was dry enough to work as processed wood for furniture & the like, so to speed up this process to a number of months, the sawmill stores the wood they want to work in kilns, fed by this boiler, which accelerate the drying time. Again an example of their business gaining from intelligent usage of their waste product. The running costs for these kilns must be close to Nil, and compared to waste removal costs are certainly more carbon friendly.
They also process their sawdust wastage, which is used as bedding by a local farmer for his livestock.
So apart from being an interesting day seeing all the big machinery at work, it's nice to see a business thinking through it's processes to be as eco friendly as is reasonable. Very good.
Tuesday 8 June 2010
Make the most of your kettle
Here is an interesting idea for you to consider - make the most out of your kettle.
So let's assume that you are already energy smart and only put as much water in the kettle as you need - that's the first thing to focus on if you don't do this already - you are therefore only using the energy you need to make your cup of tea or coffee.
BUT, think about going the extra step. Fill the kettle AFTER you've used it, ready for the next time, that way you are getting all the benefit of the heat in the element as it cools down, which will raise the temperature of the water you've just put in to the kettle. Say you have a cup of tea with your breakfast, then another one around 11 o'clock, by doing this you will certainly have water in the kettle that is warmer than fresh drawn from the tap - which means you will use even less energy the next time you make your cup of tea.
OK, we are only talking very small amounts, but every little helps.
As a practicing energy assessor, I primarily focus on the efficiency of buildings, but a little bit of thought means that we can all make savings along the way by changing our habits, as well as maximising the efficiencies in our home.
So let's assume that you are already energy smart and only put as much water in the kettle as you need - that's the first thing to focus on if you don't do this already - you are therefore only using the energy you need to make your cup of tea or coffee.
BUT, think about going the extra step. Fill the kettle AFTER you've used it, ready for the next time, that way you are getting all the benefit of the heat in the element as it cools down, which will raise the temperature of the water you've just put in to the kettle. Say you have a cup of tea with your breakfast, then another one around 11 o'clock, by doing this you will certainly have water in the kettle that is warmer than fresh drawn from the tap - which means you will use even less energy the next time you make your cup of tea.
OK, we are only talking very small amounts, but every little helps.
As a practicing energy assessor, I primarily focus on the efficiency of buildings, but a little bit of thought means that we can all make savings along the way by changing our habits, as well as maximising the efficiencies in our home.
Friday 4 June 2010
The Tide is turning
Spent a great day down on the south coast yesterday, soaking in the sunshine and fresh air. It did get me thinking however about tidal power.
Britain is an island nation so has ample access to the sea. I just think that maybe tidal power is a better bet than wind farms. Here's my logic.....
Wind farms are ugly and noisy, so if they are built inland they will be unpopular and undoubtedly have some sort of blight on their surroundings. We have just as much assurity on tide strength as we do on wind strength, and if tidal power is focussed on major river estuaries, then you have pretty much a guaranteed flow twice a day, regardless of climactic conditions at the time.
Take the proposed wind farm being built in the Thames estuary - why not use tidal units instead - they are primarily underwater, so have less visual impact on the eye and are probably just as efficient as the proposed wind turbine units.
The impact to shipping is no different, navigable channels will need to be maintained to avoid the turbines, or avoid the tide machines.
UK currently lead the way in tide power research, with serious trials underway in the North of scotland and Wales. Let's hope that these prove to be fruitful, as I for one think it is a much more attractive idea than other 'green' alternatives.
As a practicing Energy Assessor, we are focussed day to day on specific assessment on a small scale for individual houses or properties, but thinking 'big' occasionally is useful too. Now where did I leave that article on anerobic digesters.......
Britain is an island nation so has ample access to the sea. I just think that maybe tidal power is a better bet than wind farms. Here's my logic.....
Wind farms are ugly and noisy, so if they are built inland they will be unpopular and undoubtedly have some sort of blight on their surroundings. We have just as much assurity on tide strength as we do on wind strength, and if tidal power is focussed on major river estuaries, then you have pretty much a guaranteed flow twice a day, regardless of climactic conditions at the time.
Take the proposed wind farm being built in the Thames estuary - why not use tidal units instead - they are primarily underwater, so have less visual impact on the eye and are probably just as efficient as the proposed wind turbine units.
The impact to shipping is no different, navigable channels will need to be maintained to avoid the turbines, or avoid the tide machines.
UK currently lead the way in tide power research, with serious trials underway in the North of scotland and Wales. Let's hope that these prove to be fruitful, as I for one think it is a much more attractive idea than other 'green' alternatives.
As a practicing Energy Assessor, we are focussed day to day on specific assessment on a small scale for individual houses or properties, but thinking 'big' occasionally is useful too. Now where did I leave that article on anerobic digesters.......
Tuesday 1 June 2010
HIPs demise does NOT impact the market
The widely held view among the Estate Agent fraternity seems to be that the removal of HIPs would free up the market.
Early signs tend to suggest that this is not the case. Maybe the general recession and uncertainty about Capital Gains Tax (CGT) are now having an effect.
Certainly Energy Performance Certificates, priced in the very reasonable £50 - £100 range should not pose the same angst to the seller, this is an affordable price and with a bit of positive messaging, EPCs should be seen for what they are - a good vehicle for driving up energy awareness amongst the home owning community.
Any good Energy Assessor will have studied their subject matter enough to give advice or feedback on the content of the EPC, so don't be afraid to ask for help if you cannot understand some aspects of the report.
So back to the housing market - what do Estate Agents now think is the inhibitor - HIPs will inevitably become a red herring - the key driver will always be the cost of borrowing and availability of mortgage funds, especially to new buyers. Without new buyers coming into the market, there is no impetus to feed up the ladder, so the market stagnates - and that is the real challenge that the government needs to address.
Early signs tend to suggest that this is not the case. Maybe the general recession and uncertainty about Capital Gains Tax (CGT) are now having an effect.
Certainly Energy Performance Certificates, priced in the very reasonable £50 - £100 range should not pose the same angst to the seller, this is an affordable price and with a bit of positive messaging, EPCs should be seen for what they are - a good vehicle for driving up energy awareness amongst the home owning community.
Any good Energy Assessor will have studied their subject matter enough to give advice or feedback on the content of the EPC, so don't be afraid to ask for help if you cannot understand some aspects of the report.
So back to the housing market - what do Estate Agents now think is the inhibitor - HIPs will inevitably become a red herring - the key driver will always be the cost of borrowing and availability of mortgage funds, especially to new buyers. Without new buyers coming into the market, there is no impetus to feed up the ladder, so the market stagnates - and that is the real challenge that the government needs to address.
Friday 28 May 2010
Tips from the Meerkat
My famous friend, Alexander, sent me an email this morning which made me think the simple things / little things can make a difference too.
For example, think about paperless billing - many companies will give you a discount, albeit a small one, if you elect to go for paperless billing - so you save a little money.
But, if you think in terms of carbon footprint, there is less manufacturing overhead and less delivery miles - so your carbon footprint improves too.
Energy efficiency isn't always about the big things, s little change like this multiplied up by a significant percentage of the population would have a BIG impact, so chedck out your bills or bank statements and see if you have the option to reduce your paper communication and make that change.
At Surrey Energy Consultants, our principal activity is in the production of Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs), but if we can pass on practical tips like this along the way, so much the better.
For example, think about paperless billing - many companies will give you a discount, albeit a small one, if you elect to go for paperless billing - so you save a little money.
But, if you think in terms of carbon footprint, there is less manufacturing overhead and less delivery miles - so your carbon footprint improves too.
Energy efficiency isn't always about the big things, s little change like this multiplied up by a significant percentage of the population would have a BIG impact, so chedck out your bills or bank statements and see if you have the option to reduce your paper communication and make that change.
At Surrey Energy Consultants, our principal activity is in the production of Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs), but if we can pass on practical tips like this along the way, so much the better.
Monday 24 May 2010
HIP Providers - what happens next?
Many of the major HIP providers are now in a serious place. The decision last week to axe HIPs has renedered their revenue stream redundant at a stroke.
So now they are moving into the conveyancing space and aiming to compete with local solicitors - an interesting development & one I shall be keeping an eye on.
So for the man on the street, what are the simple do's and don'ts when transacting a property purchase / sale. The considered wisdom would suggest
DO keep everything simple, buying a house is definitely a situation where separate specialisations are better than a remote one stop shop.
DO find a local solicitor you can work with, it may cost a little more, but will be worth it if problems arise. Just put it in the context of the value of the overall transaction.
DO find out if your estate agent is 'pushing' a particular financing or conveyancing option if they are on any form of commission. If they are probably best to walk away - remember they need your business, so you have the control.
DO find an independant energy assessor to produce your EPC - this is still needed, even though HIPs are gone. Start with the energy assessors accreditation schemes they will all probably list local practitioners in your area and most are likely to be cheaper if you deal with them direct, rather than through the many umbrella organisations and panels out there.
Of course, as a practicing Domestic and Commercial Energy assessor, I have a vested interest in this point of view. I would like to have a good working relationship with local estate agents and solicitors to provide my piece of the jigsaw (the EPC) to customers in the local community. Of course the major nationwide HIP providers are not going to go away without trying to re-invent their revenue stream, but the sea change that the removal of HIPs has caused at least levels the playing field a little.
If you are (or are about to be) in a property transaction and need an EPC, then please get in touch, at Surrey energy Consultants, we would be very happy to help.
So now they are moving into the conveyancing space and aiming to compete with local solicitors - an interesting development & one I shall be keeping an eye on.
So for the man on the street, what are the simple do's and don'ts when transacting a property purchase / sale. The considered wisdom would suggest
DO keep everything simple, buying a house is definitely a situation where separate specialisations are better than a remote one stop shop.
DO find a local solicitor you can work with, it may cost a little more, but will be worth it if problems arise. Just put it in the context of the value of the overall transaction.
DO find out if your estate agent is 'pushing' a particular financing or conveyancing option if they are on any form of commission. If they are probably best to walk away - remember they need your business, so you have the control.
DO find an independant energy assessor to produce your EPC - this is still needed, even though HIPs are gone. Start with the energy assessors accreditation schemes they will all probably list local practitioners in your area and most are likely to be cheaper if you deal with them direct, rather than through the many umbrella organisations and panels out there.
Of course, as a practicing Domestic and Commercial Energy assessor, I have a vested interest in this point of view. I would like to have a good working relationship with local estate agents and solicitors to provide my piece of the jigsaw (the EPC) to customers in the local community. Of course the major nationwide HIP providers are not going to go away without trying to re-invent their revenue stream, but the sea change that the removal of HIPs has caused at least levels the playing field a little.
If you are (or are about to be) in a property transaction and need an EPC, then please get in touch, at Surrey energy Consultants, we would be very happy to help.
Thursday 20 May 2010
HIPs are History
Announcements made today by Eric Pickles have suspended the requirement for HIPs with immediate effect. This is welcome news for the Estate Agent community who have what they perceive as a roadblock removed from the sales process.
Sellers are also likely to not be unhappy about this as they saw the cost of HIP production as an un-needed cost.
For us industry professionals, who now need to re-group, at least the production of EPCs is still mandaded, within 28 days of commencement of marketing the property.
Time will tell how the market adjusts to this news, but it certainly makes for a more uncertain future than many of us would have liked.
Sellers are also likely to not be unhappy about this as they saw the cost of HIP production as an un-needed cost.
For us industry professionals, who now need to re-group, at least the production of EPCs is still mandaded, within 28 days of commencement of marketing the property.
Time will tell how the market adjusts to this news, but it certainly makes for a more uncertain future than many of us would have liked.
Monday 17 May 2010
coalition leaves housing market in the dark
A lot in the weekend press, now that the dust is settling on the 'new' government on what ipacts will affect the housing market. Two area are the main sticking points where clarification is urgently needed.
Capital Gains Tax - likely to rise to 40% in line with income tax. This will have a very bad, some say disasterous, effect on the private-sector rental market and to an extent on property supply. A major lift in CGT is bound to be considered adversly by professional Investment buyers. If tye are not 'churning' the smaller housing stock, then we could see a bigger shortage of first time buy property. It is likely that rentals may also increase in the private sector to cover the downside, meaning aspirant first time buyers, moving out of the rental sector will take longer to build deposits, also adding to the sluggishness in the market.
EPCs IN, HIPs OUT - Tory manifesto always stated this as the plan, and with no evidence of any appetite for consultation, this may be introduced rapidly as a quick win for the new government. In the meantime, are HIPs now voluntary? Clarity is needed NOW to ensure the market continues to work correctly.
Capital Gains Tax - likely to rise to 40% in line with income tax. This will have a very bad, some say disasterous, effect on the private-sector rental market and to an extent on property supply. A major lift in CGT is bound to be considered adversly by professional Investment buyers. If tye are not 'churning' the smaller housing stock, then we could see a bigger shortage of first time buy property. It is likely that rentals may also increase in the private sector to cover the downside, meaning aspirant first time buyers, moving out of the rental sector will take longer to build deposits, also adding to the sluggishness in the market.
EPCs IN, HIPs OUT - Tory manifesto always stated this as the plan, and with no evidence of any appetite for consultation, this may be introduced rapidly as a quick win for the new government. In the meantime, are HIPs now voluntary? Clarity is needed NOW to ensure the market continues to work correctly.
Friday 14 May 2010
EPCs can work
I know I have been over some of this material in earlier postings in this blog, but it is a continuing surprise, the apathy with which the energy reports are generally regarded.
As a practicing energy assessor this is frustrating and occasionally demoralising that all the useful information in the Energy Performance Certificate is being missed.
So what does the EPC do? It gives an assessment of the health of a property, both in terms of current energy usage and in terms of carbon impact. It also makes a series of recommendations on how the energy efficiency of the house can be improved.
As a house seller this may give you a couple of quick wins and you can always re-do the EPC after the changes have been made.
As a house buyer or tenant, you can see areas where attention is needed and factor this into your mathematics when buying the house.
All the reports conform to the same methodology, so it also allows for the like by like comparatives between two properties - you can tell if one house you are considering buying or renting is better than another.
Of course the state of the loft insulation is never at the top of normal wish lists for house buyers, where location, size of garden, no of bedrooms etc. are all more critical, but at least look at the report. The government has made them mandatory for a reason. They are trying to drive up awareness of energy usage in the housing market. The report is there, it does contain some useful information, so find that ten minutes and have a read, you'd be surprised how useful it might actually be.
As a practicing energy assessor this is frustrating and occasionally demoralising that all the useful information in the Energy Performance Certificate is being missed.
So what does the EPC do? It gives an assessment of the health of a property, both in terms of current energy usage and in terms of carbon impact. It also makes a series of recommendations on how the energy efficiency of the house can be improved.
As a house seller this may give you a couple of quick wins and you can always re-do the EPC after the changes have been made.
As a house buyer or tenant, you can see areas where attention is needed and factor this into your mathematics when buying the house.
All the reports conform to the same methodology, so it also allows for the like by like comparatives between two properties - you can tell if one house you are considering buying or renting is better than another.
Of course the state of the loft insulation is never at the top of normal wish lists for house buyers, where location, size of garden, no of bedrooms etc. are all more critical, but at least look at the report. The government has made them mandatory for a reason. They are trying to drive up awareness of energy usage in the housing market. The report is there, it does contain some useful information, so find that ten minutes and have a read, you'd be surprised how useful it might actually be.
Monday 10 May 2010
Are HIPs History?
According to pre-election positioning, the Conservatives have pledged to remove HIPs from the property transaction. So as they look likely (but not certain) to form the next government as a minority or as a coalition have HIPs had their day?
From the point of view of the practicing Energy Assessor, I hope so (although part of me does actually like what the HIP does, more on that later).
So why would I be happy to see the end of HIPs - it is basically reverting each element of the housing transaction to the experts or professionals qualified to do the job.
Searches and conveyancing would then be pretty much handled by solicitors, or legal practices. They have always done the conveyancing historically, so this is a return to a previous status quo.
The Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) - the new kid on the block, is wrapped up in all the good green and carbon issues and is heavily backed by Brussells - so it is here to stay. As these can only be produced by a qualified energy assessor, it is another segment of the property transaction.
Inspections and valuations (which were never mandatorily in the HIP anyway) can be returned to the previous status quo and done by property surveyors.
BUT, by returning these constituent parts to the various professional bodies, the internet HIP vendors have no place to go - if there is no demand for the HIP, their services should wither with it.
So what will I miss about the HIP? The one element not covered by the above is the Property Information questionnaire (PIQ), that asks most of the right questions and puts information into the open well before the survey would normally be done - therefore saving time and effort AND possibly money. A standardised format means the 'tricky' questions cannot be avoided and buyer / seller go into the transaction with a degree more information than has been done in the past. Here there is a natural role for the Estate Agent to play. they know the area and know how certain outcomes affect local prices - let them take ownership of provision of the PIQ.
So there you have it - if HIPs die off I will be happy. It should allow small practicioners like me to re-establish relationships with local agents and keep the internet panels well out of things.
Of course, first we need a new government.....
From the point of view of the practicing Energy Assessor, I hope so (although part of me does actually like what the HIP does, more on that later).
So why would I be happy to see the end of HIPs - it is basically reverting each element of the housing transaction to the experts or professionals qualified to do the job.
Searches and conveyancing would then be pretty much handled by solicitors, or legal practices. They have always done the conveyancing historically, so this is a return to a previous status quo.
The Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) - the new kid on the block, is wrapped up in all the good green and carbon issues and is heavily backed by Brussells - so it is here to stay. As these can only be produced by a qualified energy assessor, it is another segment of the property transaction.
Inspections and valuations (which were never mandatorily in the HIP anyway) can be returned to the previous status quo and done by property surveyors.
BUT, by returning these constituent parts to the various professional bodies, the internet HIP vendors have no place to go - if there is no demand for the HIP, their services should wither with it.
So what will I miss about the HIP? The one element not covered by the above is the Property Information questionnaire (PIQ), that asks most of the right questions and puts information into the open well before the survey would normally be done - therefore saving time and effort AND possibly money. A standardised format means the 'tricky' questions cannot be avoided and buyer / seller go into the transaction with a degree more information than has been done in the past. Here there is a natural role for the Estate Agent to play. they know the area and know how certain outcomes affect local prices - let them take ownership of provision of the PIQ.
So there you have it - if HIPs die off I will be happy. It should allow small practicioners like me to re-establish relationships with local agents and keep the internet panels well out of things.
Of course, first we need a new government.....
Thursday 6 May 2010
Make money from self generation
Changes since 1st April (no it's not an April fools message!) means that it is now potentially more attractive for people to generate their own power.
why? because, in line with practice elsewhere in Europe, UK now awards feed-in tariffs (FITs) to self power generators - basically you get paid a tax free, index linked incentive for generating electricity for your own home and reducing your load on the national grid.
So is ther new scheme financially attractive? Estimates suggest, as an example, if you install a 10ft x 10ft grid of photovoltaics, it will cost you upwards of £10k. You could earn from FIts about £900, plus the savings you make on your electricity bills. In simple terms this puts payback in the 10 - 15 year range.
Property sector experts advise that such installations have negligible impact on house price, so no recovery option is likely when the house is sold by increased pricing, although it is likely to be, increasingly a nice to have - similar to where central heating was maybe 25+ years ago - so could facilitate a sale, even if it didn't increase the value.
So is it worthwhile? In purely financial terms, with a payback of >10 years, thats a judgement call you have to make. the main motivation is more likely to be a passion for green or carbon neutral issues, rather than financial and if that is your motivation, then the FIts will certainly sweeten the burden of your beliefs.
Finally a couple of practicalities to bear in mind. In most cases installation of green power doesn't require planning permission, but always check with your local authority to make sure. Secondly, to qualify for the FITs, the installation must be made by a registered installer - so competent DIY won't neccessarily deliver the benefits.
why? because, in line with practice elsewhere in Europe, UK now awards feed-in tariffs (FITs) to self power generators - basically you get paid a tax free, index linked incentive for generating electricity for your own home and reducing your load on the national grid.
So is ther new scheme financially attractive? Estimates suggest, as an example, if you install a 10ft x 10ft grid of photovoltaics, it will cost you upwards of £10k. You could earn from FIts about £900, plus the savings you make on your electricity bills. In simple terms this puts payback in the 10 - 15 year range.
Property sector experts advise that such installations have negligible impact on house price, so no recovery option is likely when the house is sold by increased pricing, although it is likely to be, increasingly a nice to have - similar to where central heating was maybe 25+ years ago - so could facilitate a sale, even if it didn't increase the value.
So is it worthwhile? In purely financial terms, with a payback of >10 years, thats a judgement call you have to make. the main motivation is more likely to be a passion for green or carbon neutral issues, rather than financial and if that is your motivation, then the FIts will certainly sweeten the burden of your beliefs.
Finally a couple of practicalities to bear in mind. In most cases installation of green power doesn't require planning permission, but always check with your local authority to make sure. Secondly, to qualify for the FITs, the installation must be made by a registered installer - so competent DIY won't neccessarily deliver the benefits.
Thursday 29 April 2010
Politics and the Energy debate
With apologies to everyone who has had enough of politics at the minute - seems you can't get away from it anywhere, however the analysts are in overdrive so interesting bits and pieces of information continue to appear in the national press, which are worthy of sharing...
In five years time we start to switch off our old coal power stations and another five years after that we are meqant to be meeting some highly challenging targets in terms of usage of renewable energy. Add to this an increasing dependancy on imported gas, as our own stocks continue to dwindle, you really do need to ask why power isn't higher on the current political agenda.
Party lines are blurred, but differences do exist. Take greenhouse gases as an example. Tories want an 80% reduction by 2050, while Labour want 40% by 2020, & 100% 2050. Libdem are similar with 34% by 2020 and 80% by 2050. Bold targets to be achieved in a relatively short timeframe - yet no substance anywhere to detail how they might be achieved.
As Energy assessors, when we assess a building we look at it's energy efficiency and it's carbon footprint and identify ways to make improvements. What would make a substantial difference now is for government to set targets, incentives and possibly legislation to ACT upon these recommendations. Driving up the energy efficiency of housing stock will make a significant contribution to meeting these ambitious targets in the years ahead.
Pipe dreams perhaps, but energy will need to become higher and higher up everyones agenda in years to come as it becomes higher on the political agenda on a UK, European or Global scale. A little encouragement now from our lords and masters could get the ball rolling quite nicely.
In five years time we start to switch off our old coal power stations and another five years after that we are meqant to be meeting some highly challenging targets in terms of usage of renewable energy. Add to this an increasing dependancy on imported gas, as our own stocks continue to dwindle, you really do need to ask why power isn't higher on the current political agenda.
Party lines are blurred, but differences do exist. Take greenhouse gases as an example. Tories want an 80% reduction by 2050, while Labour want 40% by 2020, & 100% 2050. Libdem are similar with 34% by 2020 and 80% by 2050. Bold targets to be achieved in a relatively short timeframe - yet no substance anywhere to detail how they might be achieved.
As Energy assessors, when we assess a building we look at it's energy efficiency and it's carbon footprint and identify ways to make improvements. What would make a substantial difference now is for government to set targets, incentives and possibly legislation to ACT upon these recommendations. Driving up the energy efficiency of housing stock will make a significant contribution to meeting these ambitious targets in the years ahead.
Pipe dreams perhaps, but energy will need to become higher and higher up everyones agenda in years to come as it becomes higher on the political agenda on a UK, European or Global scale. A little encouragement now from our lords and masters could get the ball rolling quite nicely.
Wednesday 28 April 2010
Supermarket builds homes
So, Tesco is getting into housebuilding. Is there no end to how this very successful corporation will diversify?
Now you will be able to buy a house, finance it, furnish it and live in it all from a singe supplier - not a bad business model for them.
So will it impact the property market? Not really, volumes at least to start with are probably a very small drop in the ocean.
Let us hope that Tesco live up to their green credentials and build these homes with sustainability in mind. It is an interesting opportunity for them to set a precedent against some of their more traditional competitors and in terms of long term energy targets for UK plc that is good.
Let's watch this development and see how it evolves.
Now you will be able to buy a house, finance it, furnish it and live in it all from a singe supplier - not a bad business model for them.
So will it impact the property market? Not really, volumes at least to start with are probably a very small drop in the ocean.
Let us hope that Tesco live up to their green credentials and build these homes with sustainability in mind. It is an interesting opportunity for them to set a precedent against some of their more traditional competitors and in terms of long term energy targets for UK plc that is good.
Let's watch this development and see how it evolves.
Friday 23 April 2010
Gordon has a Solar panel
At last we had some conversation on energy issues in the leaders debate. Gordon has a solar panel, David has a wind turbine, Nick didn't own up to anything.
Sure - it was good to hear the leaders give enrgy issues some airtime, but it was pretty clear that it wasn't top of their radar.
Their ideas however are sound...
> focus on improving existing stock, with simple energy efficiencies like insulating the loft.
> make sure new build homes are very energy efficient from the outset.
> put 'encouragements' in place, or at least remove roadblocks to get homeowners to act.
On a larger scale, we heard them talking about nuclear power and a balanced strategy for future energy needs - all good stuff.
As an Energy assessor, I would love to get involved in these initiatives. Whatever measures are put in place, we can only assess how effective they are being if we have a baseline to measure from - a baseline that is objective and consistent and would stand up to scrutiny. we already have the vehicle for this - the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). Make sure all property taking up any initiative is mandatorily assessed, prior to any upgrade work AND again after the upgrade work is complete. All the content is already held on a central register, so would be readily available for analysts then to assess what benefit each initiative is having and provide real data to back up benefit statements, rather than political spin.
Of Course I have a vested interest. I am one of the qualified Energy Assessors who want to be employed doing this work, but the underlying motives ring true.
If you feel strongly this, check the small print from your local candidates in the upcoming election, the big picture was summarised in my blog earlier this week. Your vote means politicians are very much in listening mode - so let them hear your point of view.
On a more practical level Surrey Energy Consultants offer independant advice on home energy matters in Surrey & SW London. If you think we can help you, please get in touch.
Sure - it was good to hear the leaders give enrgy issues some airtime, but it was pretty clear that it wasn't top of their radar.
Their ideas however are sound...
> focus on improving existing stock, with simple energy efficiencies like insulating the loft.
> make sure new build homes are very energy efficient from the outset.
> put 'encouragements' in place, or at least remove roadblocks to get homeowners to act.
On a larger scale, we heard them talking about nuclear power and a balanced strategy for future energy needs - all good stuff.
As an Energy assessor, I would love to get involved in these initiatives. Whatever measures are put in place, we can only assess how effective they are being if we have a baseline to measure from - a baseline that is objective and consistent and would stand up to scrutiny. we already have the vehicle for this - the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). Make sure all property taking up any initiative is mandatorily assessed, prior to any upgrade work AND again after the upgrade work is complete. All the content is already held on a central register, so would be readily available for analysts then to assess what benefit each initiative is having and provide real data to back up benefit statements, rather than political spin.
Of Course I have a vested interest. I am one of the qualified Energy Assessors who want to be employed doing this work, but the underlying motives ring true.
If you feel strongly this, check the small print from your local candidates in the upcoming election, the big picture was summarised in my blog earlier this week. Your vote means politicians are very much in listening mode - so let them hear your point of view.
On a more practical level Surrey Energy Consultants offer independant advice on home energy matters in Surrey & SW London. If you think we can help you, please get in touch.
Wednesday 21 April 2010
which way to vote?
Still not much electioneering around what the election is likely to do to the property market, or how 'green' the main parties are in their plans.
The manifesto watchers seem to think these are the salient points
Labour -
> 5% stampduty charge on homes over £1mill
> homebuy schemes for affordable housing
> zero carbon new homes from 2016
> retain HIPs and make Home Condition report a mandatory inclusion (it is voluntary at present).
LibDem -
> affordable homes in rural communities
> incentives to renovate existing empty housing stock
> safe start mortgages to protect against negative equity
> devolved planning to local authorities
> focus on improving energy efficiency in homes
Conservatives -
> no stamp duty up to £250k
> Scrap HIPs, although they are looking at alternatives to continue to make homebuying more straightforward
> incentives for self-build, particularly in rural areas
> end 'garden grabbing' by developers in urban areas
> equity incentives for good council tenants
So three different flavours and to an extent three differing sets of priorities. Of key concern for property professionals like ourselves (Surrey Energy Consultants) is the uncertainty surrounding the Tory plans to scrap HIPs, most industry professionals believe that HIPs now do actually work and the infrastructure is in place to support their production and management. We would hope that even a Tory government would think about the benefits and look to tweak / tune what is there rather than complete scrappage of an evolving scheme.
At a macro level, more important the aims to devolve planning is certainly a high risk strategy. Many areas of the country face an acute housing shortage and the social and economic implications of not building or freeing up housing stock would be worrying. Having some governance in place to ensure management and agreement on supply will be critical, even where much of the planning is devolved.
So whichever colour the new parliament is - red, blue, yellow or rainbow, tough decisions around budgets and inevitable spending cuts means the housing market will remain a tough challenge for consumers and property professionals alike. We all need to expect this and weather the storm.
The manifesto watchers seem to think these are the salient points
Labour -
> 5% stampduty charge on homes over £1mill
> homebuy schemes for affordable housing
> zero carbon new homes from 2016
> retain HIPs and make Home Condition report a mandatory inclusion (it is voluntary at present).
LibDem -
> affordable homes in rural communities
> incentives to renovate existing empty housing stock
> safe start mortgages to protect against negative equity
> devolved planning to local authorities
> focus on improving energy efficiency in homes
Conservatives -
> no stamp duty up to £250k
> Scrap HIPs, although they are looking at alternatives to continue to make homebuying more straightforward
> incentives for self-build, particularly in rural areas
> end 'garden grabbing' by developers in urban areas
> equity incentives for good council tenants
So three different flavours and to an extent three differing sets of priorities. Of key concern for property professionals like ourselves (Surrey Energy Consultants) is the uncertainty surrounding the Tory plans to scrap HIPs, most industry professionals believe that HIPs now do actually work and the infrastructure is in place to support their production and management. We would hope that even a Tory government would think about the benefits and look to tweak / tune what is there rather than complete scrappage of an evolving scheme.
At a macro level, more important the aims to devolve planning is certainly a high risk strategy. Many areas of the country face an acute housing shortage and the social and economic implications of not building or freeing up housing stock would be worrying. Having some governance in place to ensure management and agreement on supply will be critical, even where much of the planning is devolved.
So whichever colour the new parliament is - red, blue, yellow or rainbow, tough decisions around budgets and inevitable spending cuts means the housing market will remain a tough challenge for consumers and property professionals alike. We all need to expect this and weather the storm.
Thursday 15 April 2010
Energy Prices coming down
I got a very interesting email from my friend Alexander the Meerkat the other day. He was advising that energy prices were coming down so it was a good time to check the competetiveness of your supplier.
Now clearly you take this with a pinch of salt as my friend Alexander is trying to steer you to register with his well known price comparison site, but the context is sensible. Most energy suppliers rely on lethargy with their existing customer base and most energy suppliers only offer the best deals to new customers, so to get the advantage of the second, you have to break the habit of the first.
So, things to consider - lock in period, increasingly suppliers want a minimum committment for 12 or 24 months, fine - but if the offer period is 12 months and the lock-in is 24 you could end up paying uncompetetive prices for the second year.
Exit fees, suppliers are now starting to charge a 'switch' fee or exit fee if you decide to move to someone else - this could negate the benefit of the lower prices you are swithcing to.
So what to do, certainly check the comparison websites, be it Alexanders or whoevers, see how much you might save and what options you have.
Talk to your existing supplier(s) - if they think you will move, armed with your price checking information they might match the other offer, or at least sweeten your current deal a bit to keep you
If you do decide to move, check all the small print and make sure you are going into the new deal with your eyes open - it's got to be worth the effort.
Finally, particularly for some of the less well known suppliers, check their customer service record and make sure they do provide good service, particularly in the event of failure. many bulletin boards provide this information.
At Surrey Energy Consultants, we engage in assessing properties (usually by producing Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs)) and commenting on their efficiency and carbon neutrality along with improvements that might be beneficial, but if you are paying higher prices than you need to, then the efficiency gains are somewhat negated. If you think you would like our advice, please get in touch.
Now clearly you take this with a pinch of salt as my friend Alexander is trying to steer you to register with his well known price comparison site, but the context is sensible. Most energy suppliers rely on lethargy with their existing customer base and most energy suppliers only offer the best deals to new customers, so to get the advantage of the second, you have to break the habit of the first.
So, things to consider - lock in period, increasingly suppliers want a minimum committment for 12 or 24 months, fine - but if the offer period is 12 months and the lock-in is 24 you could end up paying uncompetetive prices for the second year.
Exit fees, suppliers are now starting to charge a 'switch' fee or exit fee if you decide to move to someone else - this could negate the benefit of the lower prices you are swithcing to.
So what to do, certainly check the comparison websites, be it Alexanders or whoevers, see how much you might save and what options you have.
Talk to your existing supplier(s) - if they think you will move, armed with your price checking information they might match the other offer, or at least sweeten your current deal a bit to keep you
If you do decide to move, check all the small print and make sure you are going into the new deal with your eyes open - it's got to be worth the effort.
Finally, particularly for some of the less well known suppliers, check their customer service record and make sure they do provide good service, particularly in the event of failure. many bulletin boards provide this information.
At Surrey Energy Consultants, we engage in assessing properties (usually by producing Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs)) and commenting on their efficiency and carbon neutrality along with improvements that might be beneficial, but if you are paying higher prices than you need to, then the efficiency gains are somewhat negated. If you think you would like our advice, please get in touch.
Tuesday 13 April 2010
Does Cavity Wall insulation work?
An interesting question this, which someone asked me the other day. The simple answer is there is no simple answer. The question is a bit like How long is a piece of string?
So how can we begin to answer this question? Start with age of property. building regulations have consistently increased the requirements for thermal efficiency of walls through the latter part of 20th century, so the newer your house, the more efficient it will already be, so the less impact retro fit cavity insulation will have. If you install cavity wall insulation into a 1930's house, it may still not be efficient as a new house, built in the last few years.
Also consider whether there are other measures that might have a similar effect - particularly if the goal is to reduce heating costs. Replacing an old boiler could be comparable in cost to having retro fit insulation installed, but is likely to have at least as much if not more impact. Loft insulation (or upgrading thereof) is likely to be considerably cheaper and will also have a very positive impact. So look at wall insulation in the context of ALL possible measures, not in isolation.
Finally, consider if the installation of cavity insulation will adversly affect the fabric of the building - in most cases this means condensation. Particularly in older properties the gap in the cavity is designed to trap and remove water that has permeated the outer layer. when cavity insulation is installed this reduces the ability of the building to do this, which can lead to some issues. Any reputable installer should consider site / exposure and such like to ensure this is not a significant factor before sanctioning the installation.
So there you have it - how long is a piece of string - cavity wall insulation can work as part of an overall energy improvement plan, but should only be considered when taking with professional advice from a reputable supplier - not one for the DIY enthusiast I would suggest.
If you want advice on energy efficiency in your home Surrey Energy Consultants can help, please get in touch.
So how can we begin to answer this question? Start with age of property. building regulations have consistently increased the requirements for thermal efficiency of walls through the latter part of 20th century, so the newer your house, the more efficient it will already be, so the less impact retro fit cavity insulation will have. If you install cavity wall insulation into a 1930's house, it may still not be efficient as a new house, built in the last few years.
Also consider whether there are other measures that might have a similar effect - particularly if the goal is to reduce heating costs. Replacing an old boiler could be comparable in cost to having retro fit insulation installed, but is likely to have at least as much if not more impact. Loft insulation (or upgrading thereof) is likely to be considerably cheaper and will also have a very positive impact. So look at wall insulation in the context of ALL possible measures, not in isolation.
Finally, consider if the installation of cavity insulation will adversly affect the fabric of the building - in most cases this means condensation. Particularly in older properties the gap in the cavity is designed to trap and remove water that has permeated the outer layer. when cavity insulation is installed this reduces the ability of the building to do this, which can lead to some issues. Any reputable installer should consider site / exposure and such like to ensure this is not a significant factor before sanctioning the installation.
So there you have it - how long is a piece of string - cavity wall insulation can work as part of an overall energy improvement plan, but should only be considered when taking with professional advice from a reputable supplier - not one for the DIY enthusiast I would suggest.
If you want advice on energy efficiency in your home Surrey Energy Consultants can help, please get in touch.
Friday 9 April 2010
Election Uncertainty may impact Property Market
I've been keeping a wary eye on all the politicising that has been going on this week and my worst fears are correct - property matters (with the possible exception of stamp duty) are not a priority issue.
What the property market doesn't like is uncertainty and we may see people stalling for the next couple of months until either manifesto pledges, TV debates are a mini budget make it clear how the new government will proceed.
If people think that the cost of a Home Information Pack (HIP) will dissappear (an old Tory pledge), then of course they will wait.
If people think that the stamp duty threshold will change, then of course they will wait.
As a practitioner in the property market, this does not help my business in the short term. We know energy Performance Certificates are here to stay, but my business is dependant on market volatility, and I can't influence that.
So it's a case of batten down the hatches and weather the storm. Let's hope for some clarity soon so we can all get back to some sense of normality.
Surrey Energy Consultants are a small independant consultancy providing HIPs and EPCs to the domestic and commercial property sector in Surrey and SW London areas. If you need help or advice, please get in touch.
What the property market doesn't like is uncertainty and we may see people stalling for the next couple of months until either manifesto pledges, TV debates are a mini budget make it clear how the new government will proceed.
If people think that the cost of a Home Information Pack (HIP) will dissappear (an old Tory pledge), then of course they will wait.
If people think that the stamp duty threshold will change, then of course they will wait.
As a practitioner in the property market, this does not help my business in the short term. We know energy Performance Certificates are here to stay, but my business is dependant on market volatility, and I can't influence that.
So it's a case of batten down the hatches and weather the storm. Let's hope for some clarity soon so we can all get back to some sense of normality.
Surrey Energy Consultants are a small independant consultancy providing HIPs and EPCs to the domestic and commercial property sector in Surrey and SW London areas. If you need help or advice, please get in touch.
Tuesday 6 April 2010
New Government - New Rules?
So, it looks like Mr. Brown will at last declare his hand and call the election for 6th May. Will this impact the work that we do as Energy professionals?
The simple answer is no - at least in the short term. It's too early to say, but any changes to HIPs provision are not likely to be mainstream in the election debate, they might come up in the small print, but don't expect anything to be frontline on the 10 o'clock news. The conservatives have hinted that they might scrap the HIP, as I've said previously, that would be a shame, but let's wait and see.
Energy Certificates are much less threatened, as they are heavily backed by the EU, so they will stay in place in some shape or form going forward - business as usual.
More important is any electioneering around stamp duty - which might get above the radar in some of the debates. Uncertainty here could well make first time buyers wait and see to see if there is any financial advantage to them to hold back on any property purchase - and any action like this would slow down the market, when it is already sluggish.
A hung parliament - who knows as it is such an unusual circumstance in modern times. On this one I guess we have to wait and see too.
So what it all boils down to is a likely slowing for a few weeks in the market - which means the garden will get some more attention, then a watching brief on legislative changes in the new government, whatever it may be after the summer.
The simple answer is no - at least in the short term. It's too early to say, but any changes to HIPs provision are not likely to be mainstream in the election debate, they might come up in the small print, but don't expect anything to be frontline on the 10 o'clock news. The conservatives have hinted that they might scrap the HIP, as I've said previously, that would be a shame, but let's wait and see.
Energy Certificates are much less threatened, as they are heavily backed by the EU, so they will stay in place in some shape or form going forward - business as usual.
More important is any electioneering around stamp duty - which might get above the radar in some of the debates. Uncertainty here could well make first time buyers wait and see to see if there is any financial advantage to them to hold back on any property purchase - and any action like this would slow down the market, when it is already sluggish.
A hung parliament - who knows as it is such an unusual circumstance in modern times. On this one I guess we have to wait and see too.
So what it all boils down to is a likely slowing for a few weeks in the market - which means the garden will get some more attention, then a watching brief on legislative changes in the new government, whatever it may be after the summer.
Wednesday 31 March 2010
Daylight saving means energy saving
with the clock switch last weekend and the start of British Summertime (although the weather wouldn't make you think so) what many people forget to do is adjust the timing pattern on their heating.
setting it back 1 or 2 hours before it comes on in the evening will make a difference over the next two months before it is switched off completely for the summer. This will make a difference to your fuel costs and also therefore save you some money.
I have had the habit of doing this as part of the springtime clock change for a few years now - it becomes a habit, why don't you try to emulate this too.
all of the recommendations that we make when we produce Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) are more permanent one-time changes, but little things like this can also make a difference - please give it a try.
setting it back 1 or 2 hours before it comes on in the evening will make a difference over the next two months before it is switched off completely for the summer. This will make a difference to your fuel costs and also therefore save you some money.
I have had the habit of doing this as part of the springtime clock change for a few years now - it becomes a habit, why don't you try to emulate this too.
all of the recommendations that we make when we produce Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) are more permanent one-time changes, but little things like this can also make a difference - please give it a try.
Monday 29 March 2010
Unlock the potential of buildings to reduce carbon emmissions
just finished reading a very interesting article in the carbon trust newsletter (you can find this at www.carbontrust.co.uk)
commercial buildings account for nearly one fifth of our carbon emmissions, but government intervention will be needed if they are going to contribute appropriately to achieve the reduction goals we aspire to achieve by 2020.
Work has already started with initiatives broadening the implementation of Display energy certificates and a desire to impose a minimum threshold on all commercial property of an EPC Level F, but focus also needs to be placed on availability of carbon friendly stock. Tennants may appreciiate carbon benefits, from a green ethos and from a running cost perspective, but are unlikely to implement or retro-fit measures that will make a significant difference. The burden of responsibility will therefore fall to landlords who can alter the fabric of their buildings during re-fits are between tenancies. focus and incentives aimed in ths direction will have an impact.
As energy assessors we can produce accurate analysis of a buildings energy usage and potential savings areas, but unless landlords are incentivised to act I suspect nothing will happen.
commercial buildings account for nearly one fifth of our carbon emmissions, but government intervention will be needed if they are going to contribute appropriately to achieve the reduction goals we aspire to achieve by 2020.
Work has already started with initiatives broadening the implementation of Display energy certificates and a desire to impose a minimum threshold on all commercial property of an EPC Level F, but focus also needs to be placed on availability of carbon friendly stock. Tennants may appreciiate carbon benefits, from a green ethos and from a running cost perspective, but are unlikely to implement or retro-fit measures that will make a significant difference. The burden of responsibility will therefore fall to landlords who can alter the fabric of their buildings during re-fits are between tenancies. focus and incentives aimed in ths direction will have an impact.
As energy assessors we can produce accurate analysis of a buildings energy usage and potential savings areas, but unless landlords are incentivised to act I suspect nothing will happen.
Friday 26 March 2010
EPCs do work
I had a very interesting conversation the other day with a gentleman who's house I was doing an Energy Assessment at. Most of the time homeowners see what we do as a bit of a dark art & leave us to get on with things, but this guy was really interested.
His motivation was not so much about the house he was selling, but much more to understand how he should interpret the Energy Performance Certificate for any house he considered buying. I explained the content and the rationale behind the recommendations, particularly around how they highlight potential fuel cost savings and he was very happy.
Now I'm not one to claim this as a Lazarus moment and think that I've changed the world and made it a better place, but in practical terms this guy knew how much he paid for gas in his current house, was worried about how much it would cost in a new place and wanted to know if the EPC report would give him useful information - which of course it does.
As an Industry practitioner, if more people had this interest in the property transaction, then maybe HIPs and EPCs wouldn't be getting such a bad press, here's hoping we're moving in the right direction.
His motivation was not so much about the house he was selling, but much more to understand how he should interpret the Energy Performance Certificate for any house he considered buying. I explained the content and the rationale behind the recommendations, particularly around how they highlight potential fuel cost savings and he was very happy.
Now I'm not one to claim this as a Lazarus moment and think that I've changed the world and made it a better place, but in practical terms this guy knew how much he paid for gas in his current house, was worried about how much it would cost in a new place and wanted to know if the EPC report would give him useful information - which of course it does.
As an Industry practitioner, if more people had this interest in the property transaction, then maybe HIPs and EPCs wouldn't be getting such a bad press, here's hoping we're moving in the right direction.
Thursday 25 March 2010
The truth about HIPS
Home Information Packs (HIPs) - much maligned or much misunderstood?
As a practicing Energy Assessor, it comes as a bit of a surprise how many people don't understand the benefit of the Home Information Pack. The almost universal opinion is that it is 'just an extra cost we don't need at this expensive time'.
Firstly, it shouldn't be EXTRA cost, the contents of the HIP is simply packaging information that youe estate agent or solicitor would need historically anyway. Property Information questionaire - used to be standard solicitor questions; searches - part of the conveyancing; EPC - ok this is new, but virtually always offset by potential savings in it's recommendations.
as a seller the HIP gives you control over the information presented to your prospective buyers, if there are aspects of the information being presented, make the change (like increasing loft insulation) - you have a positive outcome for your prospect.
as a buyer, you know much more about a property up front and can adjust your bid in accordance with the information presented, rather than finding out about something well down the process when re-negotiation will always be tricky and emotive.
So, you accept that HIPs can be good, so how do you maximise your investment? The biggest overlap in terms of HIP content lies with the solicitor, they will do much of the conveyancing of the property transaction and all the searches. Most solicitors appear to fooer some sort of offset of the HIP cost if they are doing the conveyancing too.
Independants, such as Surrey Energy Consultants, will also (usually) be more competetive than Estate Agents where they have their own overheads and that of their franchise provider to pay for. They may offer the advantage of deferred payment, but that is really just a timing issue.
So, find a local independant, they will usually be cheaper and quicker than what your Agent offers. OR ask your solicitor on the basis of discounting on the conveyancing costs. It just needs a little bit of thinking about.
Surrey energy consultants provide a local service to provide HIPs and EPCs as well as energy saving advice in North Surrey and SW London. If you think we can help, please get in touch.
As a practicing Energy Assessor, it comes as a bit of a surprise how many people don't understand the benefit of the Home Information Pack. The almost universal opinion is that it is 'just an extra cost we don't need at this expensive time'.
Firstly, it shouldn't be EXTRA cost, the contents of the HIP is simply packaging information that youe estate agent or solicitor would need historically anyway. Property Information questionaire - used to be standard solicitor questions; searches - part of the conveyancing; EPC - ok this is new, but virtually always offset by potential savings in it's recommendations.
as a seller the HIP gives you control over the information presented to your prospective buyers, if there are aspects of the information being presented, make the change (like increasing loft insulation) - you have a positive outcome for your prospect.
as a buyer, you know much more about a property up front and can adjust your bid in accordance with the information presented, rather than finding out about something well down the process when re-negotiation will always be tricky and emotive.
So, you accept that HIPs can be good, so how do you maximise your investment? The biggest overlap in terms of HIP content lies with the solicitor, they will do much of the conveyancing of the property transaction and all the searches. Most solicitors appear to fooer some sort of offset of the HIP cost if they are doing the conveyancing too.
Independants, such as Surrey Energy Consultants, will also (usually) be more competetive than Estate Agents where they have their own overheads and that of their franchise provider to pay for. They may offer the advantage of deferred payment, but that is really just a timing issue.
So, find a local independant, they will usually be cheaper and quicker than what your Agent offers. OR ask your solicitor on the basis of discounting on the conveyancing costs. It just needs a little bit of thinking about.
Surrey energy consultants provide a local service to provide HIPs and EPCs as well as energy saving advice in North Surrey and SW London. If you think we can help, please get in touch.
Tuesday 23 March 2010
solar panels - some facts
a lot of uncertainty exists about solar panels, including widespread confusion between them and photvoltaics, so I picked up these facts from a recent magazine article I was reading.
Installing solar heating panels is expensive? Typical installations would probably start from around the £5k mark, and grants are available to offset part of this.
The cost will never pay for itself in terms of the savings made? Payback in raw terms for an average family will typically be 15 - 20 years, but as gas prices continue to rise, this period will shorten. Installation of solar will also improve the energy rating on your energy performance certificate, which is needed when the house is sold as part of the Home Information pack.
The water will not be as hot? The temperature will be exactly the same. On sunny days the solar conductant can reach temperatures approaching 200 degrees C - more than enough to raise your typical HW to 60 degrees C - which is the normal temp for domestic hot water.
The UK isn't sunny enough to provide the hot water I need? there is actually plenty of sun in the UK to provide enough energy for solar heating. solar panels will absorb infrared rays from the sun as well as visible sunshine, so they are still acting on cloudy days.
Planning permission can be difficult? Local government are now actively encouraged to give this permission, so in most cases it will be more or less automatic, but do check with your local council for specifics in your area.
Hopefully this helps explains some of the popular misconceptions behind solar power.
Installing solar heating panels is expensive? Typical installations would probably start from around the £5k mark, and grants are available to offset part of this.
The cost will never pay for itself in terms of the savings made? Payback in raw terms for an average family will typically be 15 - 20 years, but as gas prices continue to rise, this period will shorten. Installation of solar will also improve the energy rating on your energy performance certificate, which is needed when the house is sold as part of the Home Information pack.
The water will not be as hot? The temperature will be exactly the same. On sunny days the solar conductant can reach temperatures approaching 200 degrees C - more than enough to raise your typical HW to 60 degrees C - which is the normal temp for domestic hot water.
The UK isn't sunny enough to provide the hot water I need? there is actually plenty of sun in the UK to provide enough energy for solar heating. solar panels will absorb infrared rays from the sun as well as visible sunshine, so they are still acting on cloudy days.
Planning permission can be difficult? Local government are now actively encouraged to give this permission, so in most cases it will be more or less automatic, but do check with your local council for specifics in your area.
Hopefully this helps explains some of the popular misconceptions behind solar power.
Monday 22 March 2010
Industry Feedback
I attended a forum of local property professionals at the tail end of last week - it's always useful to get a general sense of what people think on the health of the property market.
A few pointers....
mortgage funding is still an inhibitor, with no real sign of banks yet loosening up funds, the expectation is that this will improve after the election in the second half of the year. More critical from a funding perspective is the larger ratio gap now being expected between loan funding and asset (property) value. Typically ratios are now around 60 - 70%, meaning, particularly first time buyers need to find a much larger deposit to secure mortgage funding. If we see a return to property prices increasing this ratio may increase, but again, considered opinion says not until 2011.
volatility in the market. Estate agents are optimistic that they are seeing the green shoots of recovery, but are not seeing the turnover in stock they would like to see, again particularly at the lower ends of the market - no doubt this is a factor of the funding issues mentioned earlier
As practitioners in this market, all we can do is ride the storm and wait it out. We are seeing a few more boards appearing but not yet at sustainable levels, and the normal springtime boom is definitely not expected or being seen in 2010.
Surrey energy Consultants are freelance consultants offering Home Information Packs, Energy Performance Certificates and general energy advice in the North surrey and SW London areas. Please get in touch if you think we can help.
A few pointers....
mortgage funding is still an inhibitor, with no real sign of banks yet loosening up funds, the expectation is that this will improve after the election in the second half of the year. More critical from a funding perspective is the larger ratio gap now being expected between loan funding and asset (property) value. Typically ratios are now around 60 - 70%, meaning, particularly first time buyers need to find a much larger deposit to secure mortgage funding. If we see a return to property prices increasing this ratio may increase, but again, considered opinion says not until 2011.
volatility in the market. Estate agents are optimistic that they are seeing the green shoots of recovery, but are not seeing the turnover in stock they would like to see, again particularly at the lower ends of the market - no doubt this is a factor of the funding issues mentioned earlier
As practitioners in this market, all we can do is ride the storm and wait it out. We are seeing a few more boards appearing but not yet at sustainable levels, and the normal springtime boom is definitely not expected or being seen in 2010.
Surrey energy Consultants are freelance consultants offering Home Information Packs, Energy Performance Certificates and general energy advice in the North surrey and SW London areas. Please get in touch if you think we can help.
Tuesday 16 March 2010
Uptake of Commercial EPCs is slow
A recent study suggests that only 28% of commercial properties being marketed have the requisite EPC in place. Mainly this appears to be due to confusion in the regulations, rather than blatant rule bending by the Agents involved.
So how can this confusion be addressed?
> clearer guidelines. Issue much clearer guidance to agents about the EPC requirements in the commercial sector to allow them to better brief their clients.
> tighter legislation. Move the responsibility of the provision of an EPC away from the vendor to the marketing agent. They know the rules, if they are legally responsible, most will comply.
> policing / reinforcement. If penalties for non compliance are applied in a random fashion, people may well 'run the risk'; penalties should also be stiffer to act as a real deterrent.
> monitoring. central agencies should be monitoring local trading standards offices to ensure they are dilligent in this area of their responsibilities.
Until these reports are available to prospective building occupants, the awareness of building efficiency is impaired and a key part of the UK's climate change policy is left wanting.
Our work at Surrey Energy Consultants supports this point of view. Our workload is still very heavily skewed towards domestic rather than commercial property, although we do produce EPCs for both. Anything that improves awareness and compliance is undoubtedly good for our industry (and our balance sheets!), but is also absolutely neccessary to achieve the mindset change needed to achieve long term carbon reduction, and that is the ultimate aim we must strive for.
So how can this confusion be addressed?
> clearer guidelines. Issue much clearer guidance to agents about the EPC requirements in the commercial sector to allow them to better brief their clients.
> tighter legislation. Move the responsibility of the provision of an EPC away from the vendor to the marketing agent. They know the rules, if they are legally responsible, most will comply.
> policing / reinforcement. If penalties for non compliance are applied in a random fashion, people may well 'run the risk'; penalties should also be stiffer to act as a real deterrent.
> monitoring. central agencies should be monitoring local trading standards offices to ensure they are dilligent in this area of their responsibilities.
Until these reports are available to prospective building occupants, the awareness of building efficiency is impaired and a key part of the UK's climate change policy is left wanting.
Our work at Surrey Energy Consultants supports this point of view. Our workload is still very heavily skewed towards domestic rather than commercial property, although we do produce EPCs for both. Anything that improves awareness and compliance is undoubtedly good for our industry (and our balance sheets!), but is also absolutely neccessary to achieve the mindset change needed to achieve long term carbon reduction, and that is the ultimate aim we must strive for.
Monday 15 March 2010
Can we make a difference ?
Fascinating article in yesterday's Mail on sunday magazine about CO2 levels in the context of global warming.
as an energy consultant, it's little things like this that reinforce my point of view and helps to put in context the work I do when assessing a property for an Energy Performance certificate (EPC).
I'll reprise some of the interesting bits...
If you are an average person, NOT thinking about energy use, then you would probably generate 12.9 tons of CO2 in a year. However some small changes to lifestyle and a bit of thinking could reduce that by more than half. Multiply that by 50 million or so for the whole of the UK, that's a staggering impact to emmission levels.
So what makes a difference?
Some obvious things, reduce your central heating thermostat by 1 degree C and you'll save .5kg per day. Commute by train, not by car and you will save 3.4Kg per day. Use a clothesline, not the tumble dryer and that's another 2.4Kg in the bank.
But what about the less obvious things. Hair-dryer - .03kg; tv on standby - .05kg; become vegetarian - 2.5 Kg per day; the ubiquitous energy saving lightbulbs - .3kg per day.
Lot's of little things make a difference, so I think the real message is think about lifestyle. It's all common sense, we all just have to apply it.
Surrey energy Consultants is an independant consultancy providing Energy Performance Certificates and energy advice in the Surrey and SW London areas. If you think we can help you please get in touch.
as an energy consultant, it's little things like this that reinforce my point of view and helps to put in context the work I do when assessing a property for an Energy Performance certificate (EPC).
I'll reprise some of the interesting bits...
If you are an average person, NOT thinking about energy use, then you would probably generate 12.9 tons of CO2 in a year. However some small changes to lifestyle and a bit of thinking could reduce that by more than half. Multiply that by 50 million or so for the whole of the UK, that's a staggering impact to emmission levels.
So what makes a difference?
Some obvious things, reduce your central heating thermostat by 1 degree C and you'll save .5kg per day. Commute by train, not by car and you will save 3.4Kg per day. Use a clothesline, not the tumble dryer and that's another 2.4Kg in the bank.
But what about the less obvious things. Hair-dryer - .03kg; tv on standby - .05kg; become vegetarian - 2.5 Kg per day; the ubiquitous energy saving lightbulbs - .3kg per day.
Lot's of little things make a difference, so I think the real message is think about lifestyle. It's all common sense, we all just have to apply it.
Surrey energy Consultants is an independant consultancy providing Energy Performance Certificates and energy advice in the Surrey and SW London areas. If you think we can help you please get in touch.
Friday 12 March 2010
The Boiler Scrappage Scheme
Industry watchers think the boiler scrappage scheme could be one of the most successful government energy saving ideas, but the £50million allocated to the scheme will soon run out. If it is going to make significant sustainable difference, then we need to find a way to fund the scheme until it achieves it's ultimate goal - replacing ALL old boilers in the UK housing stock.
early impressions say that the scheme is working well, with applications for the scrappage allowance, exceeding 3000 per day. It seems that while many heating companies and boiler manufacturers have been offering various discounts and incentives, the purchase cycle for boilers means no-one knows if they are genuine or not, now with the government scheme, whatever is the best deal from a supplier, the government chips in on top, and this is the catalyst that has got people motivated to act.
there are some obvious questions
- what happens when the money runs out?
- can the industry cope with this spike in demand?
- why is it only applicable in England?
the easy answer on demand is YES, newbuild construction is way down, so the workforce can easily adapt to upgrading existing stock instead.
the other two points are somewhat more political, and with an election imminent, we can assume that the key issues in the spotlight will not include boiler scrappage. Any government needs to stay interested in and focussed on reducing carbon footprint, so will this scheme survive? I doubt it, but would like to think that it may be extended, say for the first year of the new parliament, this will allow people to tackle the replacement issues in the summer and early autumn when CH usage is not essential. It is no different from various other insulation incentives that have been running in various guises for a number of years - and if you feel really strongly about it, lobby your MP, they should be more than eager to listen in the next few weeks, especially if they are in a marginal seat!
I re-iterate what I have said previously, improving efficiency in standard systems is as effective as installation of renewables, so let's hope this scheme survives.
Surrey Energy Consultants is an independant consultancy, offering advice and guidance on energy matters in the Surrey and SW London areas. We offer a service of providing Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) and Home Information Packs (HIPs) as well as general advice. Get in touch if you think we can help you.
early impressions say that the scheme is working well, with applications for the scrappage allowance, exceeding 3000 per day. It seems that while many heating companies and boiler manufacturers have been offering various discounts and incentives, the purchase cycle for boilers means no-one knows if they are genuine or not, now with the government scheme, whatever is the best deal from a supplier, the government chips in on top, and this is the catalyst that has got people motivated to act.
there are some obvious questions
- what happens when the money runs out?
- can the industry cope with this spike in demand?
- why is it only applicable in England?
the easy answer on demand is YES, newbuild construction is way down, so the workforce can easily adapt to upgrading existing stock instead.
the other two points are somewhat more political, and with an election imminent, we can assume that the key issues in the spotlight will not include boiler scrappage. Any government needs to stay interested in and focussed on reducing carbon footprint, so will this scheme survive? I doubt it, but would like to think that it may be extended, say for the first year of the new parliament, this will allow people to tackle the replacement issues in the summer and early autumn when CH usage is not essential. It is no different from various other insulation incentives that have been running in various guises for a number of years - and if you feel really strongly about it, lobby your MP, they should be more than eager to listen in the next few weeks, especially if they are in a marginal seat!
I re-iterate what I have said previously, improving efficiency in standard systems is as effective as installation of renewables, so let's hope this scheme survives.
Surrey Energy Consultants is an independant consultancy, offering advice and guidance on energy matters in the Surrey and SW London areas. We offer a service of providing Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) and Home Information Packs (HIPs) as well as general advice. Get in touch if you think we can help you.
Thursday 11 March 2010
The Green Transformation
In a press release earlier this month from CLG (Communities and Local Government)it stated - "a green transformation of Britain's homes will take place over the next decade - making them more comfortable, warmer and cheaper to run" The government aim from this initiative is to cut UK carbon emissions by 29% by 2020.
I think this can only be a win:win for most people. If it drives up funding for home improvements aimed at making them more efficient, then most people should save money. As an Industry practitioner, I gain because more houses will be assessed - you can't measure the benefit unless you have a baseline to start from - and in todays terms that means an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC).
So what is the focus of this drive towards carbon neutral living? CLG have stated their strategy as evolving in three stages :
1. insulate 6 million homes by the end of 2011
2. insulate all practical lofts and cavity walls by 2015
3. to have offered up to 7 million eco upgrades by 2020; all homes to have smart meters.
While the last one is perhaps a bit lacking in detail, the first two are clear. When I am assessing houses the thing that will usually make the biggest difference is to drive up the loft insulation, this initiative tackles this head on.
Smart meters will also help, but people need to be motivated to use them. I don't think the concept of energy saving by habit has yet caught the public imagination, turn down the thermostat, half fill the kettle all make a difference, but most people will focus on "how much does it cost?" NOT "how much am I using?" BOTH questions produce results.
Surrey Energy Consultants are a small independant company, providing EPCs (and HIPs) in the North Surrey and SW London area. We are also very ready to engage in providing energy advice to households. If you want more information please get in touch.
I think this can only be a win:win for most people. If it drives up funding for home improvements aimed at making them more efficient, then most people should save money. As an Industry practitioner, I gain because more houses will be assessed - you can't measure the benefit unless you have a baseline to start from - and in todays terms that means an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC).
So what is the focus of this drive towards carbon neutral living? CLG have stated their strategy as evolving in three stages :
1. insulate 6 million homes by the end of 2011
2. insulate all practical lofts and cavity walls by 2015
3. to have offered up to 7 million eco upgrades by 2020; all homes to have smart meters.
While the last one is perhaps a bit lacking in detail, the first two are clear. When I am assessing houses the thing that will usually make the biggest difference is to drive up the loft insulation, this initiative tackles this head on.
Smart meters will also help, but people need to be motivated to use them. I don't think the concept of energy saving by habit has yet caught the public imagination, turn down the thermostat, half fill the kettle all make a difference, but most people will focus on "how much does it cost?" NOT "how much am I using?" BOTH questions produce results.
Surrey Energy Consultants are a small independant company, providing EPCs (and HIPs) in the North Surrey and SW London area. We are also very ready to engage in providing energy advice to households. If you want more information please get in touch.
Tuesday 9 March 2010
Independant's Day
Considered wisdom says that buying a house is a major and stressful step for most individuals. Given the impact of decisions being made, you would expect a great deal of thought to be exercised around the process - so why do so many people blythly go along with the recommendations of their Estate Agents.
The best advice generally is considered to be use specialists for the various aspects of buying or selling a house. This would mean a bank or financial institution for funding; a solicitor for conveyancing; an Estate agent for marketing and selling the property and a property surveyor or home inspector / energy assessor to assess the property's condition and status. (Here I declare an interest, Surrey Energy Consultants is an independant outfit providing HIPs and EPCs in the Surrey and SW London area)
So why do so many people increasingly move towards the Estate Agent one stop shop offering? It is likely to be more expensive (more people and/or bigger organisations involved), less complete (internet based conveyancing will be done remotely without any real grasp of local conditions) and potentially lengthen the sale, as if/when complications arise you may not be dealing with the same people to resolve things.
Ultimately convenience shopping may prevail and the large national chains will win out, but if I'm going to spend a six figure sum on something, I would want to be involved through the process and be confident that the people I was dealing with had a real interest in my transaction, and to achieve that I will be dealing with the right local people for each aspect of the job.
Surrey Energy Consultants operates as a local provider of HIPs and EPCs. We also offer energy advice to homeeowners. If you think we can help you, please get in touch.
The best advice generally is considered to be use specialists for the various aspects of buying or selling a house. This would mean a bank or financial institution for funding; a solicitor for conveyancing; an Estate agent for marketing and selling the property and a property surveyor or home inspector / energy assessor to assess the property's condition and status. (Here I declare an interest, Surrey Energy Consultants is an independant outfit providing HIPs and EPCs in the Surrey and SW London area)
So why do so many people increasingly move towards the Estate Agent one stop shop offering? It is likely to be more expensive (more people and/or bigger organisations involved), less complete (internet based conveyancing will be done remotely without any real grasp of local conditions) and potentially lengthen the sale, as if/when complications arise you may not be dealing with the same people to resolve things.
Ultimately convenience shopping may prevail and the large national chains will win out, but if I'm going to spend a six figure sum on something, I would want to be involved through the process and be confident that the people I was dealing with had a real interest in my transaction, and to achieve that I will be dealing with the right local people for each aspect of the job.
Surrey Energy Consultants operates as a local provider of HIPs and EPCs. We also offer energy advice to homeeowners. If you think we can help you, please get in touch.
Monday 8 March 2010
Renewable energy - Pros and Cons
Renewable energy sources are very much a talking point at the moment, and with increasing government focus and incentives (the new feed in Tariffs reward you for generating your own power)maybe people are thinking more seriously about them than they have done in the past.
So what is renewable energy - pretty much what it says on the tin, energy created from a renewable source, which would typically be wind, water or solar.
Water or hydro power is probably the easiset place to start, unless you have a river or stream running through your property this is not possible and the vast majority of people don't, so take up is highly restricted and tends to be in very rural settings, where there is the space and capability to build. As take up is low, investment costs are likely to be higher and your payback will therefore be longer. Seek specialist advice if you are even thinking of going down this path.
Wind power. Easier to consider and certainly small domestic installations are readily available, even from some of the national DIY chains. The key consideration is whether your site is windy enough to make the investment worthwhile. Most urban areas are probably unsuitable, just because buildings alter natural weather patterns and would probably make consistent wind power unfeasible - the payback period, given the power you generate would be uneconomic. I would add one caveat to this however, which is some form of community project, especially for places like blocks of flats with accessible roof space. Here because the roof will be typically above other housing a freer windflow is likely, so on a community basis the installation of turbines may be practical and attractive.
Solar power. The main option in urban and suburban settings. Comes in two forms, solar heating where the hot water supply is 'boosted' by passing through a grid of pipes exposed to the sun, which will increase the water temperature and therefore reduce the load on traditional heating such as gas central heating. The other form is photovoltaics, where exposure to sunlight generates electricity, which is fed into the domestic supply, reducing your pull from the national grid. In both cases large flat panels are typically installed on a roof, facing south, with plumbing or wiring in the loft space to capitalise on the heat or energy generated. I think the main argument is really aesthetics. The technology is proven, payback periods are reasonable, so do you want a large grid sitting on the roof of your house?
But are we missing a trick? The primary motivation for these installations is carbon footprint reduction or saving on fuel costs. I have produced many Energy Performance Certificates for houses and I have yet to see a house with a renewable installation. If energy efficiency is your primary goal think about making the most of existing elements before you consider renewable installations. Make your house more thermally efficient and make your heating system work as effectively as possible. The Two BIG winners for the average household I have seen are therefore :
1. sort out your loft insulation. The number of houses with poor or no insulation when I do EPC inspections is a lot higher than I would expect. Insulation and people who can help are readily available at very reasonable costs. Current guidelines say a MINIMUM of 250mm (10 inches) of insulation should be present. Any top up here will have immediate payback on your heating bills and is likely to be more cost effective than anything else in the short term.
2. upgrade your boiler. Modern gas boilers are very efficient and can achieve about 90% efficiency. Older boilers can be as low as 60%, so the math is simple, change your boiler and you will use less gas to heat the house and therefore save money. The government has recently launched a boiler scrappage scheme, so it endorses this viewpoint. Clearly replacing a boiler is more expensive than a bit of loft insulation, but it is still cheaper than a full installation of solar panels, with probably similar results.
It is easy for me to discuss these things, because I have a professional responsibility as a Domestic Energy Assessor to understand them. Surrey Energy Consultants is primarily involved in the production of EPCs and Home Information Packs (HIPs), but we are very willing to provide advice to homeowners too on what their best options to improve energy efficiency might be. Please get in touch if you'd like to know more.
So what is renewable energy - pretty much what it says on the tin, energy created from a renewable source, which would typically be wind, water or solar.
Water or hydro power is probably the easiset place to start, unless you have a river or stream running through your property this is not possible and the vast majority of people don't, so take up is highly restricted and tends to be in very rural settings, where there is the space and capability to build. As take up is low, investment costs are likely to be higher and your payback will therefore be longer. Seek specialist advice if you are even thinking of going down this path.
Wind power. Easier to consider and certainly small domestic installations are readily available, even from some of the national DIY chains. The key consideration is whether your site is windy enough to make the investment worthwhile. Most urban areas are probably unsuitable, just because buildings alter natural weather patterns and would probably make consistent wind power unfeasible - the payback period, given the power you generate would be uneconomic. I would add one caveat to this however, which is some form of community project, especially for places like blocks of flats with accessible roof space. Here because the roof will be typically above other housing a freer windflow is likely, so on a community basis the installation of turbines may be practical and attractive.
Solar power. The main option in urban and suburban settings. Comes in two forms, solar heating where the hot water supply is 'boosted' by passing through a grid of pipes exposed to the sun, which will increase the water temperature and therefore reduce the load on traditional heating such as gas central heating. The other form is photovoltaics, where exposure to sunlight generates electricity, which is fed into the domestic supply, reducing your pull from the national grid. In both cases large flat panels are typically installed on a roof, facing south, with plumbing or wiring in the loft space to capitalise on the heat or energy generated. I think the main argument is really aesthetics. The technology is proven, payback periods are reasonable, so do you want a large grid sitting on the roof of your house?
But are we missing a trick? The primary motivation for these installations is carbon footprint reduction or saving on fuel costs. I have produced many Energy Performance Certificates for houses and I have yet to see a house with a renewable installation. If energy efficiency is your primary goal think about making the most of existing elements before you consider renewable installations. Make your house more thermally efficient and make your heating system work as effectively as possible. The Two BIG winners for the average household I have seen are therefore :
1. sort out your loft insulation. The number of houses with poor or no insulation when I do EPC inspections is a lot higher than I would expect. Insulation and people who can help are readily available at very reasonable costs. Current guidelines say a MINIMUM of 250mm (10 inches) of insulation should be present. Any top up here will have immediate payback on your heating bills and is likely to be more cost effective than anything else in the short term.
2. upgrade your boiler. Modern gas boilers are very efficient and can achieve about 90% efficiency. Older boilers can be as low as 60%, so the math is simple, change your boiler and you will use less gas to heat the house and therefore save money. The government has recently launched a boiler scrappage scheme, so it endorses this viewpoint. Clearly replacing a boiler is more expensive than a bit of loft insulation, but it is still cheaper than a full installation of solar panels, with probably similar results.
It is easy for me to discuss these things, because I have a professional responsibility as a Domestic Energy Assessor to understand them. Surrey Energy Consultants is primarily involved in the production of EPCs and Home Information Packs (HIPs), but we are very willing to provide advice to homeowners too on what their best options to improve energy efficiency might be. Please get in touch if you'd like to know more.
Friday 5 March 2010
Energy efficiency report
Green is very much the colour of the moment, with climate change, global warming and carbon footprint / carbon reduction very much being a hot topic of conversation.
I think the discussions around green energy are very enriching but perhaps lack something in terms of practicality - what can the average man in the street do to make a difference in his home?
At Surrey Energy Consultants, we are very happy to engage for any homeowner and produce an Energy Performance Certificate. This report is mandatory when selling or letting out your home, but can also be used very effectively to give the homeowner some real advice on what they can do to save money on their fuel bills TODAY. With rising fuel costs, this should become more important in the future.
If you are not ready to engage us to undertake an EPC assessment for you (even though in most cases you would recoup your cost by implementing our recommendations) there are other places you can look.
British Gas are pushing 'green' heavily at the moment and they have a useful online survey which gives you a basic report on your home. It takes about 10 - 15 minutes to fill in and will tell you much of what the EPC report does, including recommendations for you to follow. It will never match the benefit of a face to face conversation, which our consultants provide, but can provide a startpoint on your green journey. Go to their website and follow the links on the energy efficiency tab.
If you want to explore any of this topic further, get in touch with us, out contact details are on the top right of the page. At Surrey Energy Consultants we aim to provide an affordable, friendly service to the local community - and save you money too!
I think the discussions around green energy are very enriching but perhaps lack something in terms of practicality - what can the average man in the street do to make a difference in his home?
At Surrey Energy Consultants, we are very happy to engage for any homeowner and produce an Energy Performance Certificate. This report is mandatory when selling or letting out your home, but can also be used very effectively to give the homeowner some real advice on what they can do to save money on their fuel bills TODAY. With rising fuel costs, this should become more important in the future.
If you are not ready to engage us to undertake an EPC assessment for you (even though in most cases you would recoup your cost by implementing our recommendations) there are other places you can look.
British Gas are pushing 'green' heavily at the moment and they have a useful online survey which gives you a basic report on your home. It takes about 10 - 15 minutes to fill in and will tell you much of what the EPC report does, including recommendations for you to follow. It will never match the benefit of a face to face conversation, which our consultants provide, but can provide a startpoint on your green journey. Go to their website and follow the links on the energy efficiency tab.
If you want to explore any of this topic further, get in touch with us, out contact details are on the top right of the page. At Surrey Energy Consultants we aim to provide an affordable, friendly service to the local community - and save you money too!
Thursday 4 March 2010
Visit to Ecobuild 2010
Ecobuild 2010 - THE green event for the construction industry, held at earls Court in London.
This was a very rich source of information for energy assessors, as it gave us a real chance to talk to people about green and renewable energy options which are often marginalised at other events.
I often have a recommendation in an EPC to install solar panels or photvoltaic's. This fair gave me a chance to talk to manufacturers and contextualise the theory. This means I should be able to give more informed opinions to my clients, and therefore was a day well spent.
More to come on some aspects of this in the next few days......
This was a very rich source of information for energy assessors, as it gave us a real chance to talk to people about green and renewable energy options which are often marginalised at other events.
I often have a recommendation in an EPC to install solar panels or photvoltaic's. This fair gave me a chance to talk to manufacturers and contextualise the theory. This means I should be able to give more informed opinions to my clients, and therefore was a day well spent.
More to come on some aspects of this in the next few days......
Wednesday 3 March 2010
Energy Performance Certificates. What Is an EPC?
Energy Performance Certificates
An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) is required for all homes whenever built, rented or sold.
If you are buying or selling a home it is now law to have a certificate. They are also required on construction of new homes and are needed for rented homes the first time the property is let after 1 October 2008.
The certificate records how energy efficient a property is as a building and provides A-G ratings. These are similar to the labels now provided with domestic appliances such as refrigerators and washing machines.
They are produced using standard methods and assumptions about energy usage so that the energy efficiency of one building can easily be compared with another building of the same type. This allows prospective buyers, tenants, owners, occupiers and purchasers to see information on the energy efficiency and carbon emissions from their building so they can consider energy efficiency and fuel costs as part of their investment.
An EPC is always accompanied by a recommendation report that lists cost effective and other measures (such as low and zero carbon generating systems) to improve the energy rating. A rating is also given showing what could be achieved if all the recommendations were implemented.
The certificate is important because nearly 50 per cent of the UK's energy consumption and carbon emissions arise from the way our buildings are lit, heated and used. Even comparatively minor changes in energy performance and the way we use each building will have a significant effect in reducing energy consumption.
EPCS are produced by accredited energy assessors Like Surrey Energy Consultants.
An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) is required for all homes whenever built, rented or sold.
If you are buying or selling a home it is now law to have a certificate. They are also required on construction of new homes and are needed for rented homes the first time the property is let after 1 October 2008.
The certificate records how energy efficient a property is as a building and provides A-G ratings. These are similar to the labels now provided with domestic appliances such as refrigerators and washing machines.
They are produced using standard methods and assumptions about energy usage so that the energy efficiency of one building can easily be compared with another building of the same type. This allows prospective buyers, tenants, owners, occupiers and purchasers to see information on the energy efficiency and carbon emissions from their building so they can consider energy efficiency and fuel costs as part of their investment.
An EPC is always accompanied by a recommendation report that lists cost effective and other measures (such as low and zero carbon generating systems) to improve the energy rating. A rating is also given showing what could be achieved if all the recommendations were implemented.
The certificate is important because nearly 50 per cent of the UK's energy consumption and carbon emissions arise from the way our buildings are lit, heated and used. Even comparatively minor changes in energy performance and the way we use each building will have a significant effect in reducing energy consumption.
EPCS are produced by accredited energy assessors Like Surrey Energy Consultants.
Thursday 25 February 2010
Are HIPs here to stay?
Stong rumours abound that HIPs are living on borrowed time. If there is a change of government at the next election their usage is certainly under threat. This would be a shame. HIPs have been in place for nearly three years now and are perceived by many as a step in the right direction. The more information that is available up front in the home buying process, the more transparent it becomes, removing tension, the possibility of breakdown and not least cost at later stages of the sale. As HIP providers we clearly have a vested interest in this point of view, but as a home buyer / seller I have to agree with the sentiment.
Wednesday 24 February 2010
Why do we need an Energy Performance Certificate?
Almost half of the UK's carbon dioxide emissions come from the energy we use every day, at home and when we travel. These carbon dioxide emissions contribute to climate change and even small improvements to the energy efficiency of our homes could result in a significant reduction in these emissions. The UK government, along with many other countries have signed up to the Kyoto agreement where they commit to achieve specific reduction targets going into the future.
What is an Energy Performance Certificate?
The Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) gives home owners, tenants and buyers information on the energy efficiency of a property. It gives the building a standard energy and carbon emission efficiency grade from ‘A’ to ‘G’, where ‘A’ is the best and with the average to date being D/E. In effect it is similar to the energy stickers you see on white goods such as fridges and washing machines.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)