Cost, consumption, carbon – EPCs in the UK must change to measure all three

A report from Elmhurst Energy is urging an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) revamp as part of 10 act-now policy and industry recommendations it says are necessary for preventing the UK from stalling further in its journey to carbon net zero and delivering truly energy efficient homes. EPCs must change if they are to properly support … Continue reading Cost, consumption, carbon – EPCs in the UK must change to measure all three →

Blog from Erik Gudbjerg: How do we turn this energy crisis to our advantage?

Some of us are old enough to remember the oil crises of 1973-74 and again of 1979. It wasn't funny. No driving on Sundays, lights out in stores outside business hours, turned off street lights and lower temperatures everywhere. The thing is, today we can be happy about the oil crises. If it was not … Continue reading Blog from Erik Gudbjerg: How do we turn this energy crisis to our advantage? →

Energy efficiency labels can have wider effects, including causing a small amount of people selling their properties to act just like those companies by actually redesigning their homes

David Comerford, Senior Lecturer of Economics and Behavioural Science at University of Stirling writes on The Conversation website about what it would take to make good energy efficiency labels even more effective. Climate change: efficiency labels really do encourage less energy use – but there’s a better way of using them Reducing our energy … Continue reading Energy efficiency labels can have wider effects, including causing a small amount of people selling their properties to act just like those companies by actually redesigning their homes →

Update on timetable to upgrade minimum energy standards for rental properties in UK

Last week, EiD posted “Landlords in UK face challenge to upgrade their properties.” It mentioned that planned deadline for newly let properties is 2025. For all existing lets, the deadline will be 2028. It turns out this is misleading as can be seen by the following news item from the May issue of Energy in … Continue reading Update on timetable to upgrade minimum energy standards for rental properties in UK →

Landlords in UK face challenge to upgrade their properties

Three million buy-to-let landlords will have to pay thousands to upgrade homes. Owners will have to pay to upgrade their properties to meet a minimum Energy Performance Certificate rating of "band C". The planned deadline for newly let properties is 2025. For all existing lets, the deadline will be 2028. Of the 5.6 million rental … Continue reading Landlords in UK face challenge to upgrade their properties →

Without adequate funding, meeting Britain’s net zero target is doomed

In an article on The Conversation website, Keith Baker, Researcher in Fuel Poverty and Energy Policy, Built Environment Asset Management (BEAM) Centre at Glasgow Caledonian University argues why the UK government needs to come up with a clear funding plan if long-term climate and energy objectives are to be met. This is not just a … Continue reading Without adequate funding, meeting Britain’s net zero target is doomed →

Blog from Catrin Maby: How can we regulate for energy efficiency in owner occupied homes? Scotland steps forward

The sharp rise in energy prices this winter has added to the cost of living struggle that many households were already facing across the UK. Our housing is particularly old and thermally inefficient, and the levels of fuel poverty are on the rise again. At the same time, we are painfully aware of the impact … Continue reading Blog from Catrin Maby: How can we regulate for energy efficiency in owner occupied homes? Scotland steps forward →

With few carrots and tepid tambourines what is there left to stimulate we donkeys into changing our behaviour?

A market shift is underway in the rental homes sector since UK government legislation mandated that all such properties must have an energy performance certificate (EPC) rating of at least C from 2025. Andrew Warren, chairman of the British Energy Efficiency Federation discusses how to shift behaviour in an article in the March issue of … Continue reading With few carrots and tepid tambourines what is there left to stimulate we donkeys into changing our behaviour? →

The British energy rating scheme, recognised in law, offers a distinctly cold shoulder to the installation of heat pumps

Andrew Warren, who chairs the British Energy Efficiency Federation, warns in an articel on the Business Green website the already considerable challenge of reducing the cost of heat pumps is being complicated by the inability of Energy Performance Certificate surveyors to recommend a switch to greener heating systems EPCs don't like heat pumps - … Continue reading The British energy rating scheme, recognised in law, offers a distinctly cold shoulder to the installation of heat pumps →

What it takes to urgently improve the energy efficiency of Britain’s housing stock

With some of the worst levels of energy efficiency in Europe, Britain’s housing stock is in urgent need of a plan to encompass wishes, grants to alleviate fuel poverty as well as installer training. Andrew Warren, chairman of the British Energy Efficiency Federation, provides his views in his column for the July/August issue of Energy … Continue reading What it takes to urgently improve the energy efficiency of Britain’s housing stock →