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Therefore by improving the energy performance of buildings, we accomplish two major objectives :
- Helping the EU to meet its climate change objectives
- BUT, more importantly to the consumer, by improving the energy performance of new and existing buildings, the home homer benefits by having a more cost effective, greener and efficient home.
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At the Energy Council in November 2002, the European Parliament and Council signed the agreed text for the Directive on The Energy Performance of Buildings and upon its publication the Directive became European Law on the 5th January 2003.
The principal objectives of the Directive are :
- To promote the improvement of the energy performance of buildings within the EU through cost effective measures.
- To promote the convergence of building standards towards those of Member States which already have ambitious levels.
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Such measures include :
- Methodology for calculating the energy performance of buildings,
- Application of performance standards on new and existing buildings,
- Certification schemes for all buildings,
- Regular inspection and assessment of boilers/heating and cooling installations.
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How does European Law affect the UK Housing Market ? Since December 14th 2007, UK Government Legislation made it mandatory for every marketed residential property to have a Home Information Pack (HIP) containing an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC).
An EPC tells you how energy efficient a home is on a scale of A to G. The most efficient homes are those which have the lowest fuel bills and can be found in Band A.
The EPC also tells you, on a scale of A to G, the impact a home has on the environment. The less impact the home has through carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, the better rated it will be on the certificate.
Currently the average residential property in the UK can be found in bands D to E for both energy efficiency and environmental ratings. To improve this and achieve a more efficient rating throughout the UK property market, the EPC gives recommendations on ways to improve the home's energy efficiency. Therefore if you’re the home owner, you will be saving money whilst having a positive impact on the environment. |
have been introduced in response to UK Government and EU Legislation. 