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News Release from: National Home Improvement Council [NHIC] | Subject: Sustainability in home improvements
Edited by the Buildingtalk Editorial
Team on 09 March 2005
Greater sustainability in home
improvements
Sustainable renovation and improvements to both private and social sector homes are being urged by the National Home Improvement Council.
Sustainable renovation and improvements to both private and social sector homes are being urged by the National Home Improvement Council Many millions of homes across the UK are still well under par when it comes to energy efficiency and water conservation but by carefully considering what steps should be taken sustainable refurbishment can be achieved and make a significant contribution towards slowing down global warming
This article was originally published on Buildingtalk on 30 Nov 2004 at 8.00am (UK)
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NHIC director Graham Ponting says: "As a nation we are using far too much energy to meet our daily comfort levels.
But by taking just a few positive steps to make their homes more sustainable householders can not only reduce their home running costs but also help save the planet.
"Simple measures, such as good draught proofing, don't cost the earth but can add a significant element of sustainability to a property.
Further reading
Private housing falling behind in "decent homes"
NHIC says English private housing stock is falling behind in "decent homes" refurbishment.
Many private sector homes are a disgrace
Many private sector homes are a real disgrace says national home improvement council
For a modest outlay, in payback terms draught proofing is a quick way to help reduce heating bills.
Loft and cavity wall insulation also makes a major contribution to conserving heat loss and thus reducing energy output and will make a home so much more efficient.
The payback period is well within the region of three to five years.
In a well insulated home it's possible to turn down the central heating thermostat a few degrees, save on fuel costs and still enjoy a comfortable level of warmth".
Home owners and tenants should also be more aware when buying white goods and kitchen appliances that they carry an Eco-label and are as efficient as possible.
Ponting points out that high efficiency appliances may be slightly more expensive to buy initially but householders reap the benefits in the long term because they are cheaper to run and most probably will last longer too.
Further measures to save home running costs and to improve sustainability include the new regulations on boiler replacement which become a requirement in April.
This means that all gas replacement boilers must be high efficiency, condensing boilers.
These appliances are up to 40% more efficient than standard boilers, will contribute towards lower running costs and significantly reduce CO2 emissions.
Also there's been a good deal of concentrated effort in developing a window energy rating standard through the British Fenestration Rating Council (BFRC) as part of the amendments to Part L of the UK Building Regulations.
So, in the not too distant future, homeowners who are having widow replacements, as well as local authority specifiers, can expect to see an eco-label on double glazing similar to that which appears on white goods.
This will confirm that they meet the required energy efficiency standards.
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