The furore surrounding the introduction of Home Information Packs (HIPs) on 1 June is resulting in the public being seriously misinformed about the arrival of this new legislation to improve the energy efficiency of our homes.
To get ‘back to basics’, it must not be forgotten that the force behind the introduction of Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) was a European Directive to reduce carbon emissions by making our housing stock more environmentally friendly. This issue must be addressed if the UK is to meet its targets in the reduction of carbon emissions, which even the most virulent anti-EPC campaigner must admit is a responsible move.
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However, the amount of misinformation put about by organisations who are against the introduction of HIPs has sunk to new levels with the insistence that there will be a shortage of domestic energy assessors to carry out EPCs from 1 June. These organisations simply refuse to acknowledge the facts from energy assessor training providers, who can prove beyond all doubt that there are more than enough energy assessors in training.
In fact, the government has now officially confirmed that there are approximately 3,000 domestic energy assessors currently undergoing training. These assessors will be more than capable of meeting requirements on 1 June, when the government estimates 2,500-3,000 will be needed to produce approximately 90,000 certificates in the launch month.
In response to the challenge laid down by the government, energy-assessors.com alone will have at least 870 fully trained assessors by that date, with a further 400 qualifying by the end of the Summer.
Increasing awareness
EPCs are energy ratings for homes similar to consumer-friendly ‘fridge ratings’ which already exist on fridges and other ‘white goods’, such as dishwashers and tumble-dryers. An EPC will not only outline the costs of heating, hot water and lighting in homes, but will give practical advice to potential buyers on how to cut these costs and reduce emissions.
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It will also provide contact details for the Energy Saving Trust, which can offer advice on grants or discounts to help carry out these home improvements and will list simple ways that changes in behaviour can save homeowners energy and money – without the need for any works.
Having an EPC created for every home sold will ultimately lead to an increased awareness of energy efficiency in the home and encourage people to make improvements to their property, reducing their own fuel bills and making their property more saleable.
Nearly 40 per cent of the UK’s energy consumption arises from the way in which our 25 million buildings are lit, heated and used. Even comparatively minor changes in the energy performance of each building and the way they are used would have a significant effect in reducing energy consumption and therefore carbon emissions.
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If just one-fifth of home owners made the basic changes set out in their EPC, they could cut carbon emissions by the equivalent of taking 100,000 cars off the roads – not to mention make a combined saving of around £100 million a year on their energy bills. In fact, the Energy Saving Trust estimates that by following the proposals in the EPC, the average home owner could save £300 a year on fuel bills.
‘Green’ mortgages
This is already having a knock on effect on the mortgage market as lenders will ultimately be more inclined to lend on energy efficient homes, which are perceived as having a greater value, are probably better maintained than the average home and are likely to sell more easily. Interest is also growing for ‘green’ mortgages, which can be beneficial to the environment in many ways.
A small number of lenders offer such products by planting a certain number of trees per loan, thereby offsetting the carbon footprint, or by making an annual donation to an environmental charity or only lending on houses that are proven to be sustainable or that offer an ecological payback. We are delighted to see some lenders supporting the introduction of EPCs through ‘green’ mortgages. However, more needs to be done to maximise this opportunity as 1 June approaches. Tailoring deals to provide home owners with a lump sum to improve properties would be one way of truly catering to a demand for ‘green’ mortgages.
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In future, EPCs will provide buyers with a better understanding of the running costs of a property, will focus developers on sustainable building practices and will encourage lenders to respond to demand by introducing products tailored to greener homes. This should be recognised as the positive move that it is, the first serious step in our attempts to tackle the impact our homes have on the environment and ultimately reduce UK carbon emissions.
