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.
Thursday 29 April 2010
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.
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