Energy saving measures boost house prices

Making energy saving improvements to your property could increase its value by 14 per cent on average - and up to 38 per cent in some parts of England - new research released today by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) reveals.

For an average home in the country, improving its EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) from band G to E, or from band D to B, could mean adding more than £16,000 to the sale price of the property. In the North East, improved energy efficiency from band G to E could increase this value by over £25,000 and the average home in the North West could see £23,000 added to its value.

The report, which took into account over 300,000 property sales in England between 1995 and 2011, is the most comprehensive research in this area to date. It indicates that energy efficiency is now a key factor influencing the sale price of most residential dwellings in England.

Energy and Climate Change Minister Greg Barker said:

“We have long known the benefits of making energy saving improvements to the home, but this study is real evidence of the huge potential rewards. Not only can energy efficient improvements help protect you against rising energy prices, but they can also add real value to your property. This Coalition is committed to helping hardworking families with the cost of living. The Green Deal is designed to do exactly that.

“The Green Deal is helping more people make these types of home improvements, reducing high upfront costs and letting people pay for some the cost through the savings on their bills. The Green Deal is a great option for anyone wanting to improve the look, feel and potentially the value of their home.”

Kevin McCloud, broadcaster and co-founder of the Grand Designs Future Living home retrofit company, said:

“There are some 26 million homes in Britain, most of them about as well insulated as a rabbit hutch, and they need immediate help to be made less wasteful. This timely report tells us what we suspected all along: that people really value the well-insulated, energy-efficient home; that modest investment in measures to make our homes more comfortable, healthier and cheaper-to-run really pays off.

“The Green Deal is now maturing into a helpful way of financing a lot of the retrofit solutions around. Homeowners can now start to make these changes, alleviate the burden of high energy bills and improve the value of their prime asset.”

Nearly half (46 per cent) of properties in England are currently band D – but compared to this, a typical home in the West Midlands in band B is estimated to be valued at nearly £17,000 more. In the North East this could be over £19,000, £3,000 more than the national average.

James Brooks from Brooks Estate Agents said:

“For the majority of the UK we are seeing that there is a new factor dictating a home’s saleability. With fuel bills continuing to rise, buyers are becoming more and more conscious about the energy efficiency of their prospective new homes and are willing to invest more in a property now if they know it will cost them less to run in the future.

“As such, we always try to advise our customers to consider the real S.A.L.E. value – Size, Aesthetics, Location and Efficiency – when buying or selling.”

The Green Deal, the Coalition Government’s flagship energy efficiency initiative to transform the homes of Britain can help people capitalise on these findings. The Green Deal helps households pay for some of the cost of making energy-saving improvements, with the repayments spread out over time and paid back through the electricity bill.

Source : https://www.gov.uk/government/news/energy-saving-measures-boost-house-prices

Energy will be unaffordable in three years

It was depressing reading on my daily commute today – the front page of the Metro (30 May) screamed “Energy will be unaffordable in three years”.  And the body of the article didn’t get any better, starting with “Millions of families will be unable to pay to heat their homes within three years as energy bills soar past the £1,500 barrier”.

uSwitch are estimating that bills could hit £1,582 in three years, and £2,766 by 2018.  These are scary figures!  And I echo uSwitch’s own comments – “Time is running out”.  Now is the time to look at renewable energy, such as Solar PV panels, as a way to reduce your bills.

Recent Department of Energy and Climate Control changes to the Feed-in Tariff, signalled a drop from 21p to 16.8p from 1^st August 2012, and a reduction in the length of the scheme from 25 years to 20 years.  Other changes means that from 1^st August, Freetricity will no longer be able to provide free Solar PV installations to UK households – so, as uSwitch says, “Time is running out”.  Apply now for your free system at www.freetricity.net.  And if you are considering purchasing your own system, and to be sure of an installation before 1^st August, call our team of advisors now on 0203 189 4500.

Freetricity can also help businesses reduce their heating and hot water costs, by providing free Biomass boilers.  Register at www.freeheating.net

Martin Bleazard

Chief Operating Officer, Freetricity

BALANCE

Like the next person I am intolerable to waste, in our household we recycle everything, glass, cans paper, plastic, clothing, shoes, even the food scraps get eaten by the chickens! – don’t get me wrong I’m not suggesting that we all mimic the TV series ‘The Good Life’ but ensuring that we are more sensible with energy is a minimum we should all commit to. Either we need to balance our needs against our usage or create a balance of enjoyment with conservation and sustainability. Hence my reasoning to be involved with a sustainable energy company, in fact it was an opportunity I couldn’t waste!

Maybe it’s partly a keen interest in the environment and partly the sales head rearing inside me – but the balance of FIT redemption against cost of installation is currently heavily in favour of the buyer, and an opportunity that should not be wasted! We awaiting the next potential FIT ‘nail’ in the solar industry on July 1^st this gives the UK Homeowner 30 working days to take advantage of two opportunities in front of them. Firstly the guaranteed 21p rate by buying solar (from £4500!) www.freetricitysales.co.uk  Or secondly, to take up our free solar offer before the rules change! www.freetricity.net

Dave Compton - Sales & Marketing Director. T. 0203 189 4500

Looking ahead

Last week was a bit frustrating with continuing DECC uncertainties, yet It was exciting to be the first company to launch a free biomass boiler offer for schools, leisure facilities, hotels, farms and the like. People who have dithered for months about having a free solar scheme are now complaining that we have to charge £495 for an EPC survey, realising they have missed the boat,  it will only cost them more from 1st July! Why are the Brits so cynical when it comes to evaluating a real 'no brainer deal' then complain when they miss out? Government having announced RHI for resi heat pumps in autumn, then delay to Spring and yesterday delay again to summer 2013, how do they expect businesses to invest and plan? then Camerons famous 'Green Deal' was suddenly bought forward last week from October to August! Could this be to do with needing a good PR spin about creating 25,000 new jobs? conveniently forgetting that 25,000 were destroyed on botched FIT reviews! And, can we be told what the FIT will be from 1st July please? so we can at least plan a few weeks ahead! Even so, what other business sector in the uk offers any better promises than Renewables?

Paul Williams - CEO

Solar Panels Are Attractive

Gone are the days where people flippantly dismiss individuals who choose to 'go green'.  We are no longer in the position to consistently and believably like to ourselves about our blatant mistreatment of Mother Earth in the past century or so.  The choices our ancestors have made as well as the ones we make day to day when choosing to not recycle, or leave the lights on when it is completely unnecessary have left us with the inconvenient imposition of having to actually DO something about the way we consume.  It is from this need that the creation of free solar panels came into being.

One such way that we have decided to get real, is through finding alternative means to create energy, one such avenue is through the use of solar technology, i.e. harnessing the sun's energy through the use of free solar panels as a way to power homes.  Not only does this switch greatly decrease the amount of waste we put out into the world, but it also lowers monthly bills.  Now that, is something that is incredibly sexy.

Solar Photovoltaic Systems

Virtually unlimited power is available from the Earth's nearest star, the Sun.  In only one hour, Earth receives more energy from the sun than the entire world uses via electricity during an entire year. Electricity-producing solar panels have only been around for the last half century, however they have yet to completely transformed how we harness solar energy.  Though many have bought into the idea of using solar panels to subsidize electricity in their homes and properties, it is not shifting on enough of a global scale to dial back the amount of damage done to Earth since the industrial era.  Hence the necessity of free solar panels

How do Photovoltaic Systems Work?

Photovoltaic solar modules (solar panels) are composed of multiple, interconnected solar cells, which essentially trap photon energy (from the sun) between layers of silicon wafers. Negatively charged electrons are then knocked loose from their atoms, allowing them to flow freely through the semiconductors. Separate diodes and P-N junctions prevent reverse currents and reduce loss of power on partially shaded panels.

Solar Photovoltaic Systems (i.e. free solar panels)

1. are reliable, pollution-free, and use a renewable source of energy
2. help preserve the Earth’s finite fossil fuel resources and reduce air pollution.
3. allow home owners to add an energy-producing improvement to their property and over time to recover the cost of the system through reduced electric bills, and thereby added savings
4. makes home owners less vulnerable to future increases in the price of electricity.

Why Solar?

Sο many homes аrе going green thеѕе days using free аnd renewable energy, bυt whether уου аrе building a nеw home οr јυѕt want tο save yourself a lot οf money, turning tο free solar panels  mау bе thе аnѕwеr fοr уου.  Solar panels саn bе fitted tο thе roof οr frοm thе ground; drawing οff thе sun thеѕе thеn offer уουr home free electricity οr heating. Thе аmаzіng thing іѕ a few panels саn easily rυn a two bedroom home, saving уου a fortune οf money іn thе long rυn.

Whіlе уου mау thіnk tο yourself thаt free solar panels are pricy, thеѕе prices аrе reducing, bυt whеn уου weigh up thеѕе costs against thе amount οf money уου саn save each year, thеу pay fοr themselves іn a very short period οf time.

Wіth electricity rates constantly increasing, thеу seem tο bе keeping up wіth petrol prices аt thе moment, уου аrе probably paying a lot οf money each month towards keeping уουr home lit, bυt turning tο free solar panels , once thе initial investment іѕ over, уου wіll ѕtаrt enjoying thе benefits thаt renewable energy hаѕ tο offer.

I thіnk thе bіggеѕt advantage іѕ thаt thе energy іѕ completely free, thе sun heats thе panels whісh іn turn offer уου free electricity, аnd іt doesn’t gеt аnу better thаn thаt.