Improve saleability

Jim Hustwit, the UK manager of MyHammer has commented that the value of older homes can be improved by adding new central heating. He also points out that bringing a house up to scratch in terms of its environmental credentials can impact on its saleability.

It suggests that wall cavity insulation and loft insulation as well as double glazing can make it easier to sell a home. He points out that these measures will also save the homeowner money on their heating bills, so it is a win win situation.

The MyHammer website suggests that in addition to loft and wall cavity insulation, homeowners can carry out radiator, pipe and tank insulation to bring their home up to a high level of energy efficiency.

Improved confidence

These comments come as research from Zoopla has shown that the arrival of spring has led to improved confidence in the housing market and that more people plan to carry out improvements on their homes in the next six months.

It has been revealed that the salesmen are asking homeowners if they have received information regarding insulation grants and will then offer their services to complete the work.

Suspicious

Colin Glover from A&M Insulations, a legitimate installation company has commented that the bogus salesmen are making life difficult for companies such as his own. He says that many homeowners are becoming suspicious and will not use their services.

A&M offers government grants which are available to most people on benefits and to households were the female earner gets less than £16,000 per year and receives family tax credits.

Glover points out that homeowners should never feel pressured to accept their services and that they always use properly qualified surveyors to check and see if the home qualifies for insulation.

Ask for advice

Meanwhile Sefton Council have said that all residents who would like to take advantage of government insulation grants should contact the council or the Energy Saving trust for advice. They go on to say that homeowners should always ask for identification from door to door salesmen and if in doubt they should contact Consumer Direct for advice.

Andy Maybury managed to make a saving of 71% on the amount of carbon his home uses though installing insulation, green heating and ventilation. The home will now be opened to the public to show how small changes can make a big difference.

83 Homes

A total of 83 homes in Enlgnad and Wales have received the SuperHome status in the past three years, however this is the first time a home in Scotland has achieved the award. The SuperHomes project provides support for those homeowners who wish to opened their homes for inspection. It aims to educate people on how to undertake similar renovations.

Heating bill halved

Mr Maybury says that his aim was always to simply make his home more comfortable and within one year of moving in he had halved the heating bill.

The three bedroomed home had wall cavity insulation installed plus loft insulation and insulation under the floors. This almost entirely eliminated draughts. The heating system was upgraded and a ventilation system was installed to release stale air and bring in fresh air. In addition a solar thermal system was installed to heat hot water.

Free survey

Any home-owner living in the area can pay as little as £89 to have their home insulated. They will also be entitled to go into a draw to win a £200 voucher from Comet if they agree to having a free survey of their home before the end of March. The survey will let them know to what extent insulation will improve the carbon footprint of their home.

It is thought that around one third of the heat produced in uninsulated homes is lost through the roof or walls. Those who choose to insulate could be looking at a saving of around £150 each year if they insulate their loft and £115 per year if they get cavity wall insulation. So those residents who spend £89 could make that money back by the end of their first winter.

Higher comfort levels

Adrian Lawrence, the cabinet member for environment and councillor for the area has said that homeowners can expect to feel a big difference in their comfort levels from having this work done. He points out that only newer homes have cavity walls, but that all homes can take advantage of having loft insulation installed.

The Green Deal

The Green Deal energy efficiency programme is intended to make it easier for homeowners to insulate their homes whether as a DIY job or through qualified trades people. It allows homeowners to take out a loan for energy efficient home improvements which can be paid back via the savings made. The scheme was designed to cut greenhouse gases, tackle fuel poverty and was expected to create 250,000 new jobs. However experts have concerns that there will not be enough qualified individuals to fill these vacancies and support the Green Deal.

In response the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has come up with the following measures:

• Funding will be provided to train at least 1000 apprentices under the Green Deal.
• Employers and Sector Skills Councils will design new apprenticeship frameworks to incorporate the skills required.
• DECC will set standards which must be met by all working in the sector and will encourage employers to take on new staff and train existing staff.
• Green Deal installer registration fees will be cheaper for employers who take on young people.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has commented that these apprenticeship are the perfect example of how the government can work with businesses towards a low carbon future.

Stamp duty incentives

Recent reports have also suggested that the treasury may offer stamp duty incentives to homeowners who take advantage of the Green Deal scheme to upgrade their homes by insulating them and other measures. However it seems unlikely that homeowners who choose not to, or cannot afford to insulate will be penalised.

Employers such as EON, British Gas and B&Q have welcomed the new apprenticeship scheme.

The insulation which comes in a variety of widths and depths is able to be offered at these knock down prices due to a partnership between Wickes and EDF. This partnership will run until the end of 2012.

Subsidised products

Utility companies have a commitment to help the country meet the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target and they must offer schemes to help customers get free or subsidised energy efficiency products such as insulation.

In the past, energy companies have sent out free energy saving light bulbs to householders to meet this commitment, however the government has now banned this practise and is asking the energy providers to invest in insulation schemes.

Simply by insulating a loft a homeowner can save up to £150 each year. If this Wickes deal was used to buy the insulation, the cost of the purchase could pay for itself in less than one year.

Free or cut-price insulation?
However the consumer website Which? is warning customers to look into their eligibility for free schemes before they purchase insulation themselves. Sylvia Baron from the website says that those over 70 or on certain benefits may be able to have insulation installed and supplied for free.

Even if you are currently receiving benefits or over the age of 70, subsidised insulation can prove extremely cost-effective and consumers are being urged to check their eligibility for an insulation grant.

Misleading

Two sentences which were used in the ad have been deemed misleading. These were “Insulate your loft for £25” and “A fully insulated loft could save you around £150 a year”.

These claims were based on a top-up of current insulation measuring 170mm, rather than enough to fill a loft to the recommended 270mm. Therefore it would be significantly more expensive to insulate a loft which does not already have insulation installed.

The savings information was taken from the Energy Savings Trust, but were based on 270mm of insulation being used. B&Q was only suggesting a top-up and the amount of product they suggest the home-owner buys would only save around £40 a year.

ASA Concerns

The ASA said that the ad did not make it clear that the claims related to topping up existing insulation and they had concerns that readers may assume they could get the full savings by spending just £25.

B&Q said that they had no intention of being misleading and had changed the headline to read “Top up your insulation for £25”. They had also removed the claims abouts the amount of savings which could be made.

However, it is a product which works best in certain circumstances. The following points should be kept in mind if you are considering if a solar panel will work well on your home.

• A solar panel will collect energy from sunlight at any time of the day and in all weathers, however the amount of the energy collected will vary depending on the position of the panel and the strength of the sunlight on that day.
• A south facing roof will collect the most sunlight and generate the most energy.
• The slope of the roof is also a contributory factor in how much sunlight reaches your panel. An angle of between 10 and 20 degrees is considered optimal, but other angles can still produce effective energy.
• In some cases simply adding more panels will allow enough energy to be produced, even if the slope or position of the roof is not optimal. Solar installers will be able to advise on this.
• If your roof is shaded by trees or other buildings for the entire day, then you may need to consider if a solar panel is best for you. Full shade for the whole day will not allow you to get the best from your solar panel and installing a free-standing solar panel elsewhere in your garden may be a better option. Trimming trees may be a cost effective solution.
• Walls can also be used for solar panels if the roof is not a viable option. Any south facing wall which gets good sun for part of the day would be ideal.
• If you have a flat roof you can install a solar panel within a frame which will tilt it to the correct angle.
• If you are hoping to install solar panels to heat your hot water, you will need to ensure you have the correct type of boiler. A hot water cylinder is required, so those with a combi-boiler will need to bear this additional cost in mind.

One of the main considerations for anyone installing solar panels is the question of money. It is clear that if the installation costs are going to outweigh the overall benefits, it may not be best for you. You will need to be sure that the position of your panel optimises the sunlight and therefore the amount of energy you get. If you do not get enough energy from the panel it will not be worthwhile in money terms.

You can compare up to 3 solar panel quotes here or alternatively apply for free solar panels.

Details of the new ‘Green Deal’ scheme are still sketchy, but it is understood that home owners will be able to install energy efficient measures such as insulation, windows, draught proofing (and possibly even solar panels), when it is launched in 2012, and pay for it through savings in their energy bills.

It is estimated that 3.4 million homes in Britain are still without adequate insulation, costing the home owner or tenant hundreds of pounds a year in wasted energy. The plans being considered today would boost the insulation industry by creating around 75,000 new jobs and securing it’s future.

More details on the Green Deal scheme will be published on our web site as they are released.

Home owners and tenants can apply for funding now towards cavity wall and loft insulation using free insulation grants available to every home. Use the form at the top of this page to apply.

Since Home Information Packs were scrapped, it seems that some estate agents are failing to provide enough information regarding the energy efficiency of a property. PEPA are indicating that a revision to the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive should be made so that new buyers can be made aware of the energy performance of their potential new home.

Informed choice

PEPA are concerned that home buyers are not taking the energy efficiency of the home into account when deciding on their purchase. Brian Scannell from PEPA has commented that the benefits of improving the energy efficiency of a home are widely acknowledged and it seems that the industry is going backwards when it comes to providing customers with all of the information they require to make an informed choice.

He is concerned that homeowners no longer see having a good EPC rating as being a worthwhile thing to have when they decide to sell.

Legal requirement

EPC’s are currently a requirement whenever a building is built, sold or rented out. The certificate must be made available for buyers to see, but do not need to be put on the particulars.

The EPC will give the home a rating from A to G with A being the most efficient. The average for most homes in the UK is a D rating. The report also includes expert advice on what can be done to improve the rating of a home.

According to Direct Gov, 27% of the UK’s carbon dioxide emissions come from domestic homes and simply improving energy efficiency in a home can lead to a drop in these figures. Measures which can be taken are adding insulation, using renewable energy sources such as solar power and taking steps to use less water.