News

The original letter from DECC concerning EPBD and the Green Deal and Northgate's response to it.

To read the letter from DECC click here.

To read Northgate's response click here.

Message from Department of Finance and Personnel (NI)

By Email:-

Dear All

You will be aware that we currently allow campus based DECs to be produced on a proportioned energy basis where individual buildings do not have sub metering.  Please see the extract from our guidance on this matter below my signature.

We have decided to extend this facility for a further year until 31st December 2011.  After this each individual building subject to our EPB regulations will be expected to have submetering in place for a 12 month period to allow the year 3 DEC to be produced on the basis of the actual energy consumed in the building - or enforcement will follow.

Please make your DEC assessors aware of this "relaxation" of our EPB requirements for a further year. Please also advise them that subsequent DECs will only be acceptable if produced from sub metered readings from the actual building and that they should make their clients aware of this as soon as possible.

DECs produced from the OR software that are rated "G 9999 Unmetered Rating" are not acceptable as they are in breach of our EPB regulations.

We will post details of the extension of the "campus DECs" relaxation on our website at www.epb.dfpni.gov.uk

I have copied this email to my colleagues at CLG for information.

Gerald M Coulter MRICS MBEng

Department of Finance and Personnel (NI)

Building Standards Branch

Causeway Exchange (Level 5)

1-7 Bedford Street

Belfast BT2 7EG

Tel: 028 9051 2715
Fax: 028 9082 3282
email: gerald.coulter@dfpni.gov.uk
www.buildingregulationsni.gov.uk

www.epb.dfpni.gov.uk

5.4 Public Authority or Institution providing public services

and frequently visited by a large number of persons

occupying buildings on a campus

The requirements are only for those buildings over 1,000m2 and occupied by a Public

Authority or institution providing public services and frequently visited by the public.

Consequently, if the total area of buildings on the site is greater than 1,000m2 but

this area comprises several individual buildings none of which is greater than 1,000m2

(and fulfil the criteria above), the requirements do not apply.

It is recognised that many public authorities or institutions providing public services

have campus style facilities where metering is currently at the site level rather than at

the building level. Pending the installation of sub-metering to each building the initial

display energy certificates may be based on the metered site energy demands, and the

energy used by each building would be determined from the site energy consumption

on a simple area weighted basis. A DEC should be displayed and an advisory report

should be done for each qualifying building.

Subsequent DECs should be based on the actual amount of metered energy used by

the building over a period of 12 months.

DECC Launches a new community energy website

Climate Change Minister Greg Barker today (25/11) urged communities to grab the new opportunities to become more energy self sufficient and join the green energy revolution.

In a keynote speech to the Combined Heat and Power Association annual conference, Greg Barker described communities installing their own low carbon energy, like combined heat and power plants, wind and water turbines or district heating networks, as epitomising the vision of the Big Society.

At the conference, he launched a brand new website called Community Energy Online to help communities find out more about how to generate their own energy.

Greg Barker said:

“Community energy is a perfect expression of the transformative power of the Big Society. With the right combination of incentives and freedoms, community groups, businesses and organisations can get together to build a cleaner, greener future.
“They can generate their own heat and electricity, and their own profits, and as a by-product, help the UK to save energy and help to cut carbon emissions.”

DECC’s Community Energy Online website has been developed together with community networks, the Local Government Group and industry bodies like the CHPA. It is designed to give communities access to information from different independent sources on generating low carbon heat and power. The website launched today will link together partner websites to create a one stop shop for communities interested in generating energy on a community scale.

DECC has already acted to make community energy more attractive by:

overturning the ban on local councils selling electricity back to the national grid, opening up new sources of income including the full benefit of the feed in tariff; and providing a clear commitment to the funding of feed in tariffs and £860m for the Renewable Heat Incentive in the recent Spending Review.

To access Community Energy Online, visit http://ceo.decc.gov.uk

Visit the EPC Adviser Tool which uses information from your EPC to show you how to save money on your fuel bills www.epcadviser.direct.gov.uk.

Click here for the CLG Leaflet

E.ON, one of the UK’s leading electricity and gas companies, and Northgate Public Services have joined forces as part of E.ON’s major Energy Fit campaign focused on improving energy efficiency and combating climate change.

The E.ON Energy Fit website uses Northgate’s energy calculator which allows users to access vital information about how they use energy in their homes and receive a tailored report with suggestions on how to reduce that energy waste.

Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) are currently mandatory for people who are thinking of selling or renting a home. They rate a property on a scale of A to G, with A being the most energy efficient property. The energy survey will provide information which is complimentary to an EPC.

E.ON believes that in helping households identify where they are wasting energy, consumers will be able to reduce their energy demand and save themselves money. Over 25 per cent of the UK’s carbon dioxide emissions are calculated to come from domestic homes.

Kevin Bryant, E.ON’s Energy Fit instructor, said: “We’re determined to help our customers get energy fit, saving both carbon and money on their energy bills. By answering some simple questions on our energy fit website we can give customers a personal energy saving plan and even an idea of how much they can expect to save.”

Russell Osborne, Managing Director of Citizen Solutions for Northgate Public Services, added: “Climate change is one of the most pressing issues of our time. It requires us all to take action on an individual basis, at a company level and within our communities. Our work with E.ON is all about making the difference that counts. We want people to act on the recommendations wherever they can.”

Visit www.eonenergyfit.com to get your home energy survey.

We have today received information from CLG that a large number of SAP EPC have been lodged to Landmark with a transaction type that is not equal to "new build". OCDEAs are reminded that in the majority of cases a SAP assessment for newly constructed dwellings should be lodged with a transaction type of "new dwelling". Buildings should also be classified as "new dwellings" in the circumstances described below.

1. A dwelling which have been modified to have more or fewer parts that are designed to be used separately. For a home, a part designed or altered to be used separately means a self-contained unit designed to accommodate a single household. This would imply it has its own kitchen and bathroom.
2. A dwelling created by a material change of use such as conversions. If a non-domestic property, such as a barn or warehouse is converted into a home. These qualify under the regulations for newly built homes.

We will be investigating SAP EPCs that have been lodged with a transaction type other than new build, to confirm that the right transaction type has been used. Assessors may need to re-lodge EPCs that have the wrong transaction type recorded.

Recent bulletins have explained how this will affect you and the possible routes to temporary suspension or even termination of membership due to failure to comply with the guidance relating to:

• Minimum evidence levels relating to both content and quality.
• Time taken to provide complete evidence for audit.
• Rectification measure for any audit failures.

Further details can be found via the Energy Portal

All EPC lodged on or after the 1^st July will have to meet these guidelines.

Extend the use of EPC data to combat climate change

Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) have a key role to play in raising the awareness of our building’s carbon footprints and promoting energy efficiency measures, says Northgate Public Services today.

Responding to the Department of Communities and Local Government consultation Making better use of Energy Performance Certificates, Northgate say that the recent abolition of Home Information Packs (HIPs) will make EPCs more visible and give them a greater role in tackling climate change.

The organisation says that information from EPCs must be used to promote energy efficiency measures and not simply be an academic resource. Therefore, they suggest, EPC information should be more accessible to promote energy efficiency measures. In particular they cite the way in which Local Authorities could use this information to target energy efficiency measures at those areas most in need.

Northgate also say that the 10 year validity period for EPCs is too long and should be reduced to a period of three to five years. This would ensure that information is kept up to date and would reflect any energy efficiency measures taken during this period.

Russell Osborne, Managing Director of Citizen Solutions for Northgate Public Services, said today: “Climate change is one of the most pressing issues we currently face. Given that buildings account for almost half of the UK’s carbon emissions, EPCs are central to the vision of creating a zero carbon nation. On an individual level the information can be used to improve the state of a property. However, opening up access to the data would allow it to be used on a larger scale by Local Authorities to target measures and combat fuel poverty.

-Ends-

For more information

Fellows’ Associates
Kathy Sutton   
020 7324 6221; 07966 890401
Hannah Smith            
020 7324 6222; 07949 421356

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles and Housing Minister Grant Shapps have announced that from 21st May 2010, they are suspending the requirement for homeowners to provide a Home Information Pack (HIP) when selling their homes.

Mr Pickles and Mr Shapps also said that the Government is determined to help people reduce their energy bills, improve our energy security and tackle climate change by increasing the energy efficiency of their homes. Sellers will therefore still be required to commission, but won't need to have received, an EPC before marketing their property, and the Government will consider how the EPC can play its part in the new drive for a low carbon and eco-friendly economy.

To read the full CLG press release please visit http://www.communities.gov.uk/news/corporate/1591777

To read the questions and answers from CLG pleae visit: http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/buyingselling/homeinformation/homeinfopackquestions/

The Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) must adopt more innovative ways of identifying those households most at risk of fuel poverty, insists Northgate Public Services today.

• partnership working between local authorities and utility companies - to identify the most vulnerable households
• sharing of Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) data to identify the most fuel inefficient households. Registered Social Landlords (RSLs), for example, hold good quality data which could help to target the most vulnerable
• embedding behaviour change measures within the CERT process.- essential if sustainable savings are to be achieved and people are to be permanently lifted out of fuel poverty.