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Why it still pays to be energy efficient
Ventrolla - Sash window renovation
2 July 2010
The much maligned Home Information Pack (HIP) may be
history, but the need for energy efficient homes is still very much
alive.
The government confirmed last month that HIPs would be
suspended with immediate effect and homeowners would no longer need to
produce a pack in order to sell their property.
What they still
need to do within 28 days of putting their home on the market, though,
is provide an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). These cost around
£60 and show how energy efficient the house is on a banded rating scale
from A to G, with A being the most efficient.
Ventrolla welcomes
the decision to retain EPCs because they reward homeowners for investing
in energy efficient solutions, designed to both save money and reduce
environmental harm.
Repairing and draught proofing damaged
windows is a great way of cutting down on energy bills and potentially
achieving a better EPC rating.
Ventrolla’s Perimeter Sealing
System, for example, can achieve a 30 per cent improvement in the Window
Energy Rating when installed into an existing timber sash window. The
customer will also receive an Energy Improvement Certificate from
Ventrolla upon completion of the work to verify the performance gain.
One
important consideration when deciding on any course of action aimed at
improving energy efficiency is the payback period – in other words, when
the savings achieved will offset the original purchase cost.
For
an average three bedroom terraced house it takes approximately five
years to achieve payback on cavity wall insulation. Boiler replacement
can be as much as 38 years and solar heating a staggering 208 years.
Fitting
UPVC double glazing has a payback period of around 124 years, which
further strengthens the case for the renovation of existing windows over
complete replacement. Double glazing also has little impact on the
property’s overall efficiency rating on the EPC, as a maximum of four
points in fact which is unlikely to push it into the next band.
Homeowners
should carefully consider all the options before making any decisions
about home improvements, but those with period properties should always
bear in mind the importance of retaining original features. They not
only preserve character, can also add value when it comes to resale, and
when properly renovated and draught proofed, can be energy efficient.
