Archive for March, 2010
The award winning development in Grimsby by Stamford Homes, Freshney Green, is showing growing demand for future proof homes and properties that offer ‘lifetime living’.
There are a number of benefits to buying brand new smart energy homes, as they can help to save money on energy bills in the future, by as much as £500 per year, and can reduce your carbon footprint dramatically.
It has been shown that the latest newly built homes that are built according to environmental standards are six times more energy efficient than buying a second hand home.
At Freshney Green, a number of environmental considerations alongside lifestyle needs have been taken to account to build homes that include features such as water saving taps, water buts, garden sheds to store bicycles, improved heat loss technology, and timber materials sourced from sustainable areas.
The regional manager of Stamford Homes, Melanie Parker, said: ‘brand new homes are making extensive efforts to minimise the energy costs of running a home by using thermal-efficient building materials, the latest high-efficiency heating systems and a host of other cost-saving innovations.’
There are plans for more and more areas across the UK to follow the example set my Freshney Green.
Some of the other facts regarding buying new vs old include:
- Edwardian homes emit around 8 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year, which is double any new home.
- Around a third of the energy used in a new home is on the heating, though this jumps to 63% in Edwardian homes and 44% in 1970s properties. Factors such as insulation, energy efficient boilers and double glazing can greatly help to reduce the energy needed for heating.
It has recently been reported that properties available to rent can be made more attractive to potential tenants when they are promised low energy bills and reductions in carbon emissions.
As reported by the Energy Saving Trust, landlords are now required to show any potential tenants the Energy Performance Certificate score of the property when performing viewings.
Tenants may be more keen to rent properties that are seen as more energy efficient, meaning cheaper running costs thanks to reduced heating and electricity bills.
A number of improvements could be made to the property to help create a more favourable score, including updating old boilers to new energy efficient measures. Combine this with effective heating controls and annual energy bills could be reduced by up to a third.
It is also important for landlords to think about insulating properties with cavity wall insulation or loft insulation, and to make sure that heat doesn’t escape through single glazed windows. Double glazing can cut heat lost through windows by half.
All of these measures combined could make a huge difference to the amount of money tenants will need to spend on energy bills.
Landlords can even apply to the Energy Saving Trust to find out if they are eligible for money off replacing their boiler with a new, energy efficient model.
Chairman of the Residential Landlords Association, Alan Ward, recently claimed that demand for rental properties is likely to remain strong. However, installing energy saving measures could put your property above the rest in potential tenants’ eyes.
87 social housing projects around the country are to be provided with £17 million worth of funding to help test new low carbon building technology.
The funding was introduced last week by Science Minister Lord Drayson and Housing Minister John Healey. The scheme will provide retrofitting of new green technologies in housing units across the UK. This will help the government to meet its targets of 80% reduced carbon emissions by 2050.
The buildings involved will have a number of key features. They will be designed to be air tight to help reduce heat loss, including through the use of materials such as double glazing in windows. Insulation will also be upgraded. Open chimneys will be sealed, and walls will be coated with a special plaster.
Homes will make use of targeted heat recovery systems in hot areas, such as bathrooms and kitchens, to help make them more energy efficient by redistributing the heat elsewhere. Heating systems will be installed that have the ability to match the living patterns of occupants.
These prototype systems and technologies are to be tested in selected properties. By 2050, it is hoped that such technologies will be implemented nationwide. The schemes will be closely monitored in order to gain vital information on how possible it will be to reach energy efficiency targets set by the government. These improvements will also help occupants to save on energy bills.
