Other countries (again).........

Israel:

On November 30th 2010, Bait Venoy, together with the Israeli Green Building Council, will host a convention dedicated to "Green Building - Technologies, Methods and Applications". The convention will discuss new disciplines in building, with a strong focus on environmental building standards and regulations in Israel and around the world. The convention will address the distinct values of those standards and their important contribution to improving the quality of the environment in and around building projects as well as the quality-of-life standards for the individuals in the communities.
The convention will include a professional exhibition and present cutting-edge projects and technologies from around the world.
Israel’s standard 5281 for buildings with minimal environmental impact addresses four main areas: energy, water savings, land, and various ecological issues. The Intel building meets the Israeli standard at the “Outstanding Green Building” level. The Israeli standard is slated to undergo major revisions, and Erdan said at the ceremony that he would be working closely with the Standards Institute of Israel to ensure that the standard conformed more closely to international levels.http://www.iisbeisrael.org/eng_about_us.htm - very good website.


Denmark:

Energy use by households usually accounts for not only a large share of a country’s total energy consumption, but often also a significant share of energy wasted. Reducing this wastage could make an important contribution to tackling climate change by reducing CO2 emissions. Against the background of needless energy waste and climate change linked to rising atmospheric CO2 levels, the need for improved energy efficiency has swung into focus on the global agenda.

Energy saving
In Denmark, prevention of energy waste in households has long been a focus area, and successive governments have introduced a range of energy saving policy initiatives together with building regulations designed to help householders reduce energy consumption (and thus energy bills) and minimise the environmental impact

A tightened building code, including stipulations on insulation and tighter-sealing doors and windows lowered Denmark’s heating bill by 20% between 1975 and 2001, even though 30% more heated floor space was built in that period.
Energy rating
The energy rating of buildings in Denmark developed out of these initiatives, and schemes now in force are seen as an important way to achieve energy savings in buildings – both existing and new.
In the mid-1990s the Danish government began focusing on the energy efficiency of domestic appliances, and introduced both retailer and consumer incentives to encourage their uptake. Today, many appliances sold must carry a label which rates energy efficiency according to a graded scale based on EU rules. Nordic knowledge Being situated in northern latitudes, Denmark is well accustomed to the challenges of relatively cold winters and has developed considerable know-how in building homes that can be heated in highly energy- efficient and cost-saving ways. Not surprisingly, Danish companies can be found among the world leaders in insulation materials for roofs, walls and floors, energy monitoring and thermostat control systems, as well as solar panels, small wind turbines and – looking ahead to a possible future Hydrogen Society – domestic combined heat and power generators driven by zero-CO2 emission fuel cells.
Sustainable solutions
With the increasing demand among the world’s nations for carbon-neutral architecture and building materials, Danish architects and companies are featuring prominently at international trade fairs focusing on sustainable building solutions.
In Denmark, it has since 2005 been possible to buy various types of housing accredited with the Swan-labelled, the environmental symbol introduced by the Nordic Council of Ministers to show that the product is a good environmental choice. http://www.denmark.dk/en/menu/Climate-Energy/Fact-Sheets/Energy-Efficiency-Do-You-Realize-The-Potential/

Switzerland:

Was really impressed when I read this (UK eco towns eat your heart out!) -

So far 120 Swiss local authorities have been designated "energy towns" – a sign of consistent and efficient energy policies.All the Swiss local authorities, cities and regions that have been labelled "energy towns" have made it their goal to reduce energy consumption, promote renewable sources, organise environmentally friendly transport and more.Thirty-seven per cent of Swiss live in an energy town and the list of local authorities involved runs from Aadorf to Zurich.The "energy town" label, which is based on a standardised catalogue of possible measures, has existed since 1997, although the concept dates back to the end of the 1980s. In 1993 the concept was formalised in the Federal Energy Office's Energy2000 programme and "energy town" was registered as a brand. Most energy towns are in the urban German-speaking parts of Switzerland. The only energy town in Italian-speaking Ticino is Mendrisio.

As a small country in the middle of Europe, Switzerland's energy policy is aligned with that of its neighbours. Switzerland is part of the western European power grid. In the summer it is able to export electricity, but in winter it generally has to import it. In 2005 for the first time it imported more than it exported.
Energy policy
The two main planks of Swiss energy policy are to promote the use of renewable resources and to encourage efficiency. The government sees this as particularly important in the face of the upcoming liberalisation of the European energy market, which Switzerland cannot avoid. Greater competition is likely to bring down the prices of fossil fuels. This would boost their use yet further, which would have a detrimental effect on the environment, undermining Switzerland's determination to cut its CO2 emissions by 2010 to 90% of its 1990 level.
Consumption
Switzerland's per capita electricity consumption is slightly higher than that of its neighbours, though well below that in Scandinavia, the US and Canada.

Am really fascinated at the moment with what "everyone" else is doing in the realm of energy saving, I started off thinking that the majority of countries were not doing much and I have been really suprised to see what everyone is doing. There are some very good examples now from other countries that we can all learn from.

http://www.celsias.com/actions/ - while I was researching other countries I found this website, lots of little ideas to help save energy and money, if everyone in the world signed up to just one of the ideas available on this website the energy saving would be unbelievable.

The Green Deal, further info

"Thousands of new insulation workers will soon be hitting Britain’s streets as part of a national effort to make people’s homes warmer and cheaper to run. Chris Huhne, today said that by 2015 up to 100,000 Green Deal workers could be employed in the effort to upgrade Britain’s homes. Currently around 27,000 work in the insulation industry. Legislation to start the process of establishing the Green Deal is due to be introduced into Parliament next month.The Green Deal is the Government’s new and radical way of making energy efficiency available to all, whether people own or rent their property. The work to upgrade the property will be paid back from the saving on energy bills.Chris Huhne, visiting British Gas’ Energy Academy in Thatcham, said:“The Green Deal’s about making people feel as warm as toast in their homes. I want Britain to say goodbye forever to leaky lofts and chilly draughts. At a time of increasing gas prices energy efficiency is a no-brainer."

This is from the http://www.decc.gov.uk/ website.  There is a leaflet on the Green Deal that is also available to download from this website which goes on to explain that 3.5 million homes will be insulated in the run up to the Green Deal.

Part of the leaflet states "Under the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) the Government requires all major, domestic energy suppliers to make savings in the amount of CO2 emitted by households. CERT helps reduce energy demand; enhance the UK’s security of supply; reduce fuel poverty; and, secure jobs in energy efficiency industries. In June 2010 the new Government extended the scheme to ensure 3.5 million new homes can benefit by 2012, providing an additional 107 MtCO2 in carbon savings"

I can only hope that these "thousands of insulation workers" will be 1. regulated, 2. a thorough assessment of the required amount of insulation workers will take place, 3. training providers will be kept in check.

When I read further through I found this "Chris Huhne announces that “were all 26 million households to take up the Green Deal over the next 20 years, employment in the sector would rise from its current level of 27,000 to something approaching 250,000”    I know I keep rabbiting on about this (sorry in advance) but please get a grip on the training providers - there are some fantastic ones out there (Elmhurst, SAVA, ECMK etc) but there are also the ones that are promising the moon and the stars and are giving the industry a bad name. Also (sorry soapbox again) cap the amount of people allowed to train for the green profession and set the fees like the Australian Government did.

The direct gov website is getting better - its still not positive enough for me, but compared to a year ago there are alot more details on there about how to save money when you move home. The website can be reached on this link http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Environmentandgreenerliving/Greenerlifeevents/DG_064436. It is a shame though that the EPC is only mentioned once on this page and then only very briefly.  I did enjoy reading about the microgeneration technologies and it is explained simply so it doesn't get confusing.

If

The most favourite toy is the one that all the children want - even if my 3 year old hasn't played with a toy for weeks the minute he sees his little brother playing with it he wants to play with it as well.

The same affect could work on EPCs - if 10% of buyers/renters started to look at EPCs and then negotiated on price due to the EPC or bought/rented a property with a good "grade" then the EPC would become a marketing asset.

If a good result on the EPC was a saleable part of a property then prices would be adjusted with the more energy efficient properties priced higher than those that are not so energy efficient.

If a property was worth more if it was energy efficient then more people would make alterations to their properties so that they were energy efficient - more insulation, better boiler, TRVs on the radiators, solar panels etc.

It could be a very benefical knock on effect.

There are alot of ifs involved with the thoughts above but if it happened it would be a fantastic result for the environment, energy efficiency, saving money and the global community as a whole.

Other countries continued....

New Zealand.
By 2015 the Government expects to have supported the insulation and clean heating of more than 200,000 homes through the Warm Up New Zealand: Heat Smart programme.
The programme provides an incentive for homeowners to leverage further private investment by banks, finance companies, local authorities and energy companies.
The Government acknowledges the role of clean and efficient space and water heating systems in reducing consumer energy costs and improving air quality.
The Building Code sets standards for the installation of insulation and renewable energy features such as solar hot water heating in homes. Recent changes are expected to deliver ongoing energy savings. As new technologies and building practices emerge, further incremental improvements will be required to ensure the Code and relevant standards keep pace.
In addition, the Government will work with industry to identify and develop a range of market measures targeting the energy productivity of New Zealand's homes.
Energy rating tools for homes, which provide purchasers and prospective tenants with credible information on energy performance, is one area where the Government is currently supporting industry in developing innovative voluntary solutions.

Following this link - http://www.eeca.govt.nz/node/3107 takes you to the clear and easy to understand website. The positive way New Zealand are promoting this is brilliant - "It started on 1 July 2009, and aims to retrofit more than 188,500 New Zealand homes over the next four years. It's run by EECA and replaces existing EECA home insulation programmes.Better insulation means our homes are warmer, cosier, and easier to heat. Warmer, drier homes bring health benefits, especially for those with respiratory illness or other conditions derived from living in cold and damp houses"

Canada:
http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/english/ yet another brilliant website. I am getting a little jealous, whenever I look at the UKs direct gov website I get a little bored but this website, New Zealands and Swedens are easy to read and understand and promote energy efficency in a very good way.

Conserve energy and you can save money and help to make our environment healthier. Take advantage of the new ecoENERGY Efficiency Initiative to reduce energy use in buildings and houses, industry, personal vehicles and fleets. Homeowners and owners of small and medium-sized organizations can also apply for financial assistance from ecoENERGY Retrofit, as well as other grants and financial incentives.

I have gone on to read through the website, the faq site is very helpful and very encouraging towards saving energy, lots of information about available grants (UK government take note please!)

A learning experience

I am very glad that I started this blog as it has made me more interested in what is going on around me in the Global community with regards to energy saving. Up until last week I had no idea what Australia had already done and had never heard of Christine Milne (she is now a heroine of mine), I didn't know that the US were looking into measuring the energy efficency of properties and it is being promoted even in the planning stage as something that will increase or decrease the marketability of a property.

I have gotten frustrated though with the seeming lack of communication between the countries. Why aren't they all working together - seeing what the others have already tried and what the problems have been (training providers, setting a fee, too many assessors etc)?

I am passionate about energy saving, I believe in practising what I preach (am fully double glazed, good combi condensing boiler and lots of insulation) and am always open to new ideas.

Scotland have started looking at how they need to adapt the rdSAP that currently produces the EPC as it doesn't apply fully to their housing stock and the weather conditions. Its a good way of doing things - take something that already works and adapt it to correctly fit the country. Its a flexible approach that saves time.

I have looked at the other websites, some are very client friendly such as Sweden with an easy to understand site that encourages you to look further, others such as France are filled with details that are encouraging but require a little more time to read through.

It is very promising and a great start - just think if all houses that were assessed were required/strongly encouraged (ie makes the property more saleable) how much difference it would make to the world.

Other countries etc

I must admit that although I have learned alot today with regards to what other countries are doing to reduce energy wastage in houses I have also been increasingly frustrated (sorry to repeat myself) with the news that training providers took advantage in Australia and the fact that the Americans have said that they need to work out how to produce a certificate for the energy efficency of buildings (the UK have had then for over 3 years). It has just emphasised to me how great the need is for everyone to work together on this issue!

I have also looked at what other countries are doing - and I was really impressed with what I have found.

Sweden:

Energy advice -

In all municipalities in Sweden you'll find energy and climate advisors. They will answer your questions free of charge on heating systems, district heating, biofuels, energy costs, government grants in the field of energy and a great deal more.
Find the energy and climate advisor in your municipality (in swedish).

Electricity bills and power cuts

Do you have thoughts on electricity bills and network charges? Or on how you can manage during a power cut and how you can prepare yourself for a power cut.

That is fantastic - energy and climate advisors who answer questions free of charge in the areas of grants etc - with one place in which to find them. The website http://www.energimyndigheten.se/en/Energy-efficiency/Household/ has various pages on how you can save money - depending on your lifestyle, travelling, living in an apartment and how to save energy when you are buying a house. All of the language used is easy to understand and is clear.

Germany:

In 2007 Germany set itself a target of being the world leader when it comes to energy efficency.

"The new energy concept was made public in September by the Federal Government, lead by Chancellor Angela Merkel, and offers a compass for cutting emissions by 80% compared to 1990 base level by 2050. An eighty per cent emissions cut looks like a great vision. So, how does Germany plan to achieve the 80% emissions cut? There are eight pillars holding the energy and climate construct:  1) renewables will make up 80% of Germany’s electricity generation by 2050, 2) energy efficiency will be drastically improved, 3)  existing nuclear power stations will stay on the grid for up to 25 more years, 4) smart grids will be introduced to allow for more efficiency between demand and supply, 5) the housing sector will be restructured towards more efficiency, 6) electric vehicles will be substantially subsidised, 7) more funding will be allocated to research and development and 8) Germany will spend effort and money to harmonize the European electricity grid to allow a better transfer between countries."

Very hopeful, I think the above is definately one of those lets wait and see what happens. It would be brilliant if it was achieved.

France:

New homes have to comply with them, and existing owners can get financial support to achieve them, but just what are the energy efficiency standards in France?In trying to come to grips with the regulations you will also have to learn some rather strange hieroglyphics – RT2005, BBC, HQE, THQE – so we thought a quick tour of the different labels and the basic standards set by each of them might be useful to you.The RT2005 is the minimum energy efficiency standard for new dwellings, replacing an earlier standard called the RT2000.
The full description is Réglementation Thermique 2005, and applies to all those new buildings where the planning application was submitted after 1st September 2006.
In order to obtain the HPE standard your energy consumption needs must be at least 10% lower than those set out in the RT2005.
The standard encompasses a consideration of the global performance of the dwelling through the space heating, hot water, air conditioning, ventilation and lighting systems.
Within the HPE standard there is also HPE Energies Renouvelables (HPE EnR) 2005, in which at least 50% of the heating must be from renewable energy.
Existing older homes build between 1st January 1948 and 1st Jan 1975 are also able to obtain the standard Haute Performance Energétique Rénovation ( HPE rénovation 2009).
The global energy standard set for such dwellings is a slightly more generous than for new dwellings, at 150 50 kWh/m2 per year, subject to location and altitude.
Bizarrely, there seems to be no energy standard for dwellings built prior to this date, and why 1948 has been chosen as the cut off point, is probably only known by the technocrat who drafted the legislation.Grants and Tax Breaks for Energy Conservation
There are grants, interest free mortgages and tax breaks available for measures of energy conservation, which you can read about in our guide to Home Energy Conservation in France.
The rules do not always require that a specific level of energy performance is achieved, notably with some of the tax credits that are available, although in all cases there are rules on the standard of performance of the materials and equipment to be used.
In other cases, you will generally be required to have an energy performance audit undertaken, with an assessment of the anticipated benefits of the work.3.1. Tax Credits in France for Home Energy Conservation
A French tax credit is available for heating and energy saving works to your French home.
A 'tax credit' needs to be distinguished from 'tax relief'. While the latter offers only a reduction in the amount of income tax payable, a tax credit entitles you to a payment by the tax authority. Accordingly, if are eligible to receive a greater sum than you actually pay in tax, then the taxman will send you a cheque for the balance!
Even if you pay no income tax due to your income you will still be entitled to a 'tax credit'. The eligible works includes most types of home energy conservation, provided the installation meets agreed performance standards. You need to discuss these standards with your installer to make sure the works comply with the regulations. In most cases, the tax credit is only available for the costs of the materials, and only then provided they are purchased and installed by a registered artisan or company. There is one important exception to this rule, which is applicable for all work carried out since January 2009. This relates to the installation of roof and wall thermal insulation, for which the tax credit can cover 25% of the labour cost, provided the project is undertaken in its entirety by a registered builder. 3.2. Eco Grant
A grant of between 20% and 35% of the cost of works of home energy conservation is available, subject to a test of resources. 3.3. Interest Free French Mortgages for Energy Conservation
There are interest free mortgages available through the high street banks for works of home energy conservation. iii. Loans and Grants
There are also a surprising number of local, departmental, or regional councils who offer grants or loans towards energy saving equipment, notably towards the installation of solar panels

There is an awful lot of information available after just a brief search on energy efficency in properties and the grants available from France. Although not as easy to read as the Swedish website France is very encouraging towards energy efficency and promotes it much more that the UK does.

Once again interesting to find out what other countries are doing to reduce their carbon footprint and encourage and promote energy efficency within dwellings.

What can we learn from other countries?

I have been reading some of my favourite blogs this morning and looking for new information about what other countries are doing to reduce the energy usage of their privately owned properties. Whilst I was looking I found this: -http://www.energy-performance-certificates.org/blog/think-domestic-energy-assessors-have-it-bad. Its from Mike C's blog and is dated back in March of this year, Mike has tirelessly provided good, up to date information for DEAs and the general public with regards to the energy assessors industry within this country and is one of the people I admire.

"Australia’s Housing Sustainability Assessment Scheme (HSAS) launched in July 2009 to provide 360,000 homes with free energy assessments, allowing homeowners to qualify for an interest-free loan of up to AU$10,000 to pay for energy-efficiency improvements under its Green Loans Program, repayable over four years. " Mike goes on to explain that it was thought that this scheme would take over 4 years to complete and provide work for the assessors in Australia.

Fortunately the Australians did alot of things right such as:
1. Setting a fee (no undercutting or rogue traders over there)
2. Giving lots of promotion.
3. Only one accreditaton scheme.
4. Interest free loan to make the improvements (great idea and a good way to get people to carry out the improvements in my opinion)

Although there were also the problems with the fact that the accreditation scheme suspended new assessor registration and late payments by the government to the assessors. And once again those nasty training providers were at it again, the Australian government did not cap the amount of assessors needed leaving the assessors in much the same position as the ones here in the UK with too many assessors and not enough work - the only people to benefit from that have been (once again) the training providers.
What was nice to see though was this quote from the ASBA - "While it was not our role under the Federal Government protocol to limit the number of registrations, we became sufficiently concerned with the increased number of assessors seeking accreditation. Therefore we took the decision to limit the number of registrations pending while at the same time putting our concerns directly to DEWHA. "

Apparently though the assessors in Australia have a champion, who believe in speaking her mind clearly - Christine Milne, who is a Green Party MP. Its nice to see that they have some one fighting their corner.

In 2011 Australia is legislating for homes sold to have a certificate of environmental performance - I can only hope that they look at what has happened already with their assessors and limit the number accredited and continue to keep the fees fixed so that the assessors do not suffer the same fate as the DEAs in the UK.

There are many things that both countries can learn from one another and this is what I feel would help in both countries:
1. Set the fee
2. Watch the training providers
3. One overall governing body
4. Incentives to encourage energy saving
5. Promotion to encourage greater understanding of the certificate
6. An EPC should only be valid for 12 months - not 3 years for selling and 10 years for rental. It causes confusion.
7. Cap the amount of assessors.

Admiration

Who do you admire? Margaret Thatcher, Cheryl Cole, Wayne Rooney, Barack Obama?

Although I do think alot of famous people are good the people I tend to admire are alot closer to home - my friends and family. It would take me less than 5 seconds to think of 10 people who I admire because of the amount of work they have put in to achieve a dream against all the odds, less than 5 seconds to think of 5 people who have overcome illness and personal tragedy to triumph and the list goes on. I am exceptionally lucky to have people in my life that I can look up to and who give me the push to carry on regardless and to try harder if and when (I am only human) I fail.

So I suppose the question is do we admire the human race and earth with all its life forms enough to protect it? To do "our bit" and save some energy? Or are we going to rely on other people, constantly hoping that someone else will do enough to counteract the fact that we have done nothing?

I firmly believe in the old saying of practise what you preach - thats why my computer/tv etc get switched off - not left on standby, that my loft is insulated to over 300mm, I have a good combi condensing boiler and that I walk when ever possible rather than using the car. There are lots of little tiny things that we can ALL do to save some energy (and money) that won't take long, won't cost much but will really make a difference in the long run.

Its never too early

I have a fairly busy life, no busier than any other working mothers life but with 3 kids and work and then all the other little bits that come into it - housework, taking care of the dogs, washing, school/playschool run, organising childcare etc it can get pretty hectic. Thats why I am devoted to my diary - everything that needs to be done gets put down and ticked off once its done (allows me to feel smug when I've done everything).

Today I have managed to get all the christmas presents either ordered online or bought. I have my list of who is getting what and its a nice feeling especially as I hate the shops in December. But is it too soon?

I don't think it is, it pays to be organised nowadays and it will free up time that I would have spent battling my way through other panicing shoppers in December, queuing up for the till, getting rammed by pushchairs and stretching my arms dragging bags and annoyed kids round the shops.

There are other things that can never be done too early - teaching your children about how to save energy, just little simple things like turning off the tv completely instead of leaving it on standby, switching off the lights when you leave a room and insulating your house to a good standard - the people who got the grants and got cavity wall/loft insulation in spring and summer 2010 will now be starting to feel the benefit they won't get such large bills over the next quarter and will be able to save energy and money.

So in the spirit of starting early - I wish everyone a very merry christmas and a happy new year :),

EPCs and CO2

Which countries have the greatest carbon footprint? As of research conducted by Pitney Bowes, collecting the latest data from around the globe, the country with the greatest carbon footprint per capita is the United States, with 20.1 tons of CO2 per capita. But numbers two, three, and four may surprise you.

Per capita, they are . . .

• United States (20.1 tons)
• Canada (18.4 tons)
• Belgium (14.3 tons)
• Finland (11.8 tons)
• France (6.7 tons)
• Germany (10.5tons)
• Netherlands (16.6 tons)
• Spain (8.8 tons)
• Switzerland (6.1 tons)
• United Kingdom (9.7 tons)

I can't say I am suprised to see how much is produced by the United States but the level of CO2 from Belgium is a suprise.

So lets say the US and Canada as the two largest producers of CO2 per capita start using the EPC with the addition of the recommendations of the EPC (don't forget am more than happy to visit either country to demonstrate the EPC) have to be carried out wouldn't we, as a global community, see a huge benefit?

I carried out an EPC this morning on a pre 1900 property and if the owner/landlord carried out the recommendations there would be a difference of over 10 points from the current 31on the environmental impact graph to a potential 41. At present the carbon dioxide emmissions from the property are 8.1 tonnes, with the potential if the recommendations were followed to be reduced to 6.4 tonnes - thats a reduction of 1.7 tonnes on just one property!If every property was assessed in the world just think of the difference it could make!

Worry and dreams

I'm sitting here alone at my computer, kids are all organised so it is fairly peaceful in my house at the moment and I am having a moment of worry..........................do I do the RICs Associate course?
I have always wanted to be a chartered surveyor, I have put myself through numerous courses, studied into the early hours and then gone to work and looked after a small baby, took jobs I didn't really want that came with a paycut just to get more experience and I am now looking at the work required and wondering if I can do it?

I know I will buckle down and get on with it but its nice every now and again to remind yourself of how far you have come and that your dream is finally going to be within reach.

I have another dream and that is for the EPCs to be fully promoted within this country - the Green Deal brings with it a whole new range of possibilities, with a little tweaking the EPCs could provide the full advise to the householder/landlords and the Government would have an army of people who are already trained ready to go out and put that part of the Green Deal into motion.

DEAs have been promised the world by training providers (that mysteriously disappeared in the end) and there are still adverts/emails appearing offering people the chance of a fantastic new career within the energy assessing industry where as the actual truth is that there is already more than enough trained energy assessors within the UK and unless you are guaranteed work by a very trustworthy source then you really shouldn't train. I love my career and am very happy to do the work but at the moment I would advise people against paying any money to become a DEA.

I do hope that if any other country begins putting EPCs or something similar in place that they monitor the training providers and make sure that the trainee energy assessors are not taken for a ride.

The Green Deal - Advice to householders who provides it?

Green Deal Advisers

An important aspect of the Green Deal will be the provision of personalised advice to householders. It is likely, but yet to be confirmed, that the role of these advisers will be to:

• produce a fabric assessment, along the lines of an improved EPC, where one does not already exist. Current work to improve the EPC should position it to deliver this element of the Green Deal;
• provide personalised face to face advice to householders on the most appropriate energy efficiency measures for their home using the fabric assessment as the basis for that advice;
• provide advice on behavioural changes that an occupier can make to reduce energy consumption;
• lodge an updated EPC on the Register following installation of the measures.

It is important to stress that the detail of the Green Deal is still being developed so the proposed Green Deal Adviser role has yet to be finalised and is subject to change.

Qualifications and Training

National Occupational Standards (NOS) for Home and Community Energy Advisers were published in June 2009. Those standards were developed at a time when a rather different role was envisaged for HEAs. While many of the skills and competencies prescribed in the NOS are likely to be relevant to the role of the Green Deal Adviser, there will be a range of other skills and knowledge that an adviser working under the auspices of the Green Deal will require.
Asset Skills, the awarding bodies and others, are to update the NOS to ensure that it reflects all of the skills that will be required for the Green Deal. We expect to complete this process early next year, following which appropriate qualifications will be developed and brought forward. It follows that a suitable qualification for people wanting to become Green Deal Adviser does not currently exist.
DEAs are already qualified to produce EPCs. If it is decided that EPCs should form the basis of a Green Deal inspection, then they will be well placed to upgrade their skills and become Green Deal Advisers. We are working to ensure that the revised NOS takes account of the skills of existing DEAs and, where appropriate, that they are exempt from those elements of the standards that cover areas in which they are already qualified.

Green Deal providers

Green Deal providers will be organisations that have decided to become involved in the financing and delivery of the Green Deal. It will be for them to decide whether they recruit advisers directly, engage with them on a contractual basis or make other arrangements.

Accreditation

All Green Deal Advisers will need to belong to an accreditation scheme. It is envisaged that such schemes will need to be in place by early 2012.

 

So judging by the above it is hopeful that the Government will use the DEAs to produce the advice to householders - after all by the sounds of it they are already 50% qualified, if not more, have been working within the industry and with householders already, and have been badly burnt by the credit crunch, housing market, bad training providers and a variety of other problems. It would be ideal if the DEAs were used and finally give them an additional stream of income whilst promoting and emphasing how important the EPC and energy saving matters really are.

Rewards for buyers and Sellers for energy efficient properties!

The government is looking at how stamp duty could be used to reward buyers and sellers for making a property more energy efficient – particularly if it falls in the lower F or G bands on an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). That covers 20% of the British housing stock – just under 5.5 million homes.

The proposal would add 0.5% extra levy on normal stamp duty rates for those homes. So that’s clearly the tax side. But if the property was improved to at least an E rating on an EPC, the homeowner would receive a refund of the 0.5% – plus a rebate of another 0.5%. That money would be paid through savings in your energy bill. So that’s the incentive! Energy efficiency is one of the cheapest and easiest ways of cutting carbon. But the government has to help homeowners see all the benefits. Stamp duty reform is one of the best tools it can use.

The Government has extended the Green Deal to the rental sector - tweaking flagship scheme so landlords cannot refuse "reasonable requests" for energy efficiency improvements, but commercial properties still in limbo at present. The government has confirmed it is to extend the Green Deal to cover rented properties, although it is still unsure if commercial properties will be included in its plan to upgrade the energy efficiency of Britain's buildings.

Under the scheme, home improvements are paid for by energy companies or other commercial firms which then recoup the cost through charges on energy bills. Repayments are set at a level lower than the savings achieved through the energy efficiency improvements, ensuring that households and businesses taking part in the scheme end up better off.

Today, the Department of Energy and Climate Change (Decc) said that from 2015, landlords will be unable to refuse any "reasonable requests" by tenants for energy efficiency measures such as loft or cavity wall insulation to be installed.

Under new powers, councils may also be able to insist that landlords improve the worst-performing homes.

 I am hopeful that given the above we might finally be seeing the value of a professional Domestic Energy Assessor who produces accurate and efficent EPCs going up!

Promoting the EPC

I was feeling a little nostalgic this morning and have had a look at the live web chat I did with Mumsnet to promote EPCs and DEAs.(this is the link if you want a lookwww.mumsnet.com/onlinechats/charlotte-lawrance) 

I can't honestly believe how much I typed or answered during the session although it was immense fun and I think very worthwhile. If this industry is to get the recognition it deserves then DEAs need to promote how worthwhile the EPC is and make everyone aware of how it should be done and what happens. Nowadays people know what service to expect from solicitors and estate agents and I feel it is as important that they know what to expect from a DEA - thats why I put the code of conduct up on this blog.

Have got a very busy family day today - decorating for Halloween and agility with Dave the puppy so am going to keep this post short and sweet, hope everyone has a fantastic day x 

Ok the UK have EPCs whats everyone else have?

I have been having a look online today to see what is other countries are doing to reduce the carbon footprint.

I have found that on average, every American is responsible for about 22 tons of carbon dioxide emissions every year, according to statistics compiled by the United Nations but there is no EPC or similar type of survey in the US according to my searches.

I looked at several other countries to see what they had that was similar to the EPC and again couldn't find anything. Maybe it is the way I am searching or the words I put in the search engine but surely other countries should have something similar to the EPC to help reduce the carbon footprint of commercial and domestic properties.

I only hope that if they do take up the EPC in USA and other countries that they put a cap on the training providers! And I can always hope that I might get invited over to demonstrate the value of the EPC!

Simple Facts

There are lots of "experts" in the field of saving energy. There are alot of middle men as well.

The simple facts are -
1. An EPC is required if you are selling or renting your property.
2. A DEA is the only person accredited and trained to carry out the EPC.
3. An EPC can save you lots of money on heating bills and provide good advice.

A DEA is accredited, trained and CRB checked. If you employ a DEA to carry out an EPC on your property then they are not going to try (or they shouldn't) to get you to change gas/electric suppliers or sell you anything else while they are a guest in your property. They are not bias and will not start recommending that Joe Bloggs down the road comes round to give you a quote for putting more loft insulation in.

If you are looking for an EPC for your property because you are intending to sell/rent your property or simply because you want a report to help you save money on your heating bills this winter then the only person to contact is a DEA.

There are several ways of finding a DEA -
Searching on the internet https://www.epcregister.com/searchAssessor.html  (Landmark site)
Letting your estate/letting agent deal with it for you
Ringing round
Using a middle man.

These middle men promise to organise the EPC for you and to save you lots of money in the meantime.
Whilst there are reputable "middle" men out there I would always recommend using a local DEA who has been recommended by someone you know or the estate agent. If you do use a middle man always "google" them prior to giving them any money to make sure that they are a reputable company. Just remember you are the client and as such you should be treated with respect and be provided with an accurate EPC by the DEA of your choice.

Winter is coming

I have been out today to carry out some EPCs and I am so cold!

Everyone is now starting to put their heating on and wrap up warmly as the tempretures start to plummet in preparation for Winter 2010, which according to the weather predictions is going to be a cold one.

If we are wrapping ourselves and our children up why aren't we wrapping our homes up? The credit crunch is still lingering and people are tight for money (even more so with less than 10 weeks till Christmas) so why not look at how to reduce those heating bills during the coming months?

A few simple and very effective things to do are:
1. How is the hot water cylinder insulated? if its just a jacket get an extra one round it.
2. How much insulation is in your loft? Insulating the loft to 300mm will reduce the heating loss.
3. See what grants/free installations are available in your area for cavity wall insulation.
4. Low energy lightbulbs.

Homeowners are the first to see and feel the benefit of correctly insulating their homes and being able to save that extra money and energy has got to be an early christmas present.