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Scots pilot loan scheme for energy efficiency
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 16th October 2009 at 9:43 am
Homeowners in Scotland can apply for interest free loans to improve their insulation, replace inefficient boilers or install small scale renewables thanks to a new government pilot scheme. The £2m Energy Saving Scotland home loans scheme is being administered by the Energy Saving Trust in Scotla…
Posted in: Energy efficiency
5 tips on choosing a home energy advisor
Posted by Linn Rafferty on 8th March 2010 at 9:35 am
Every home is different so a visit from a Domestic Energy Assessor (DEA) or Home Energy Advisor is the best way to get energy efficiency advice. However, choosing the right advisor can be a challenge. A DEA can provide the same energy audit that is legally required if you are selling or l…
Posted in: Energy efficiency
Goodby HIPs, Hello EPCs: a homeowners guide
Posted by Linn Rafferty on 21st May 2010 at 10:15 am
Until yesterday, home sellers had to have a Home Information Pack (HIP) in place before they could put their home on the market. HIPs have now been suspended, pending primary legislation for a permanent abolition. Before the election, the Conservative Party promised a consultation on their complete…
Posted in: Energy efficiency
Renewable heat incentive: deeming explained part 2
Posted by Linn Rafferty on 9th August 2010 at 2:11 pm
In the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) consultation published by the last administration, the incentive will be paid to households against a "deemed" amount of heat, rather than the heat actually used. Put simply, deeming is a method used to estimate how much heat is required to provide comfortab…
Posted in: Energy efficiency
Green Deal - will the advice be good enough?
Posted by Linn Rafferty on 3rd December 2010 at 9:15 am
You're probably painfully aware that there's a lot still to be decided about how the Green Deal will work. According to DECC the Green Deal process starts with the provision of advice: "All households and businesses will be entitled to an energy efficiency assessment as part of Green …
Posted in: Energy efficiency
Look at a property's energy efficiency before you rent
Posted by Linn Rafferty on 20th April 2011 at 1:05 am
While the snow was on the ground at the start of the year, I carried out an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) on a house in a pleasant street in a rural Buckinghamshire village, prior to its owner marketing it for let. Specifically, this house is in the most northerly village in the county, ri…
Posted in: Energy efficiency
Home seller's guide to buying an EPC: what to consider
Posted by Linn Rafferty on 28th September 2011 at 9:30 am
Just as all buyers should receive an EPC (energy performance certificate), all sellers have to show one to people thinking of buying their home, and this usually means having to pay for it yourself. If your home already has an EPC, there is no legal requirement to replace it, so long as it is …
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Homebuyer & sellers' guide to reading an EPC: part 2
Posted by Linn Rafferty on 25th November 2011 at 10:30 am
Energy performance certificate (EPC) gives information that can be very helpful to both homebuyers and homesellers, but only if you know what to do with it. This article should be read in conjunction with previous guides to reading page one of the EPC for the buyers and renters, and for sellers. I w…
Posted in: General, Energy efficiency
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