A certificate that can save you money

The Heating Helpline reminds students that obtaining an Energy Performance Certificate for rented accommodation could help to save money.

15 October 2010 – Hundreds of thousands of students have headed to UK universities and colleges this Autumn and are now renting flats and houses. When choosing a property many students understandably look for low rent and proximity to the campus. But how can students ensure that the accommodation they have chosen to move into is energy efficient, which in turn could save them hundreds of pounds a year on their energy bills? The Heating Helpline (www.heatinghelpline.org.uk), the home heating advice service backed by the Heating and Ventilating Contractors’ Association (HVCA), says that all students should ask to see an Energy Performance Certificate for the property they are renting as an EPC can show the tenant how energy efficient – or otherwise – a property really is. EPCs are required whenever a building is built, sold or rented out and have been introduced to help building users to improve the energy efficiency of their buildings, saving energy, and therefore money, and cutting their Carbon Footprint. The EPC will provide an energy rating for a building which is based on the performance potential of the building itself (the fabric) and its services (such as heating, ventilation and lighting). The energy rating given on the certificate reflects the intrinsic energy performance standard of the building relative to a benchmark which can then be used to make comparisons with comparable properties. The certificate provides ‘A’ to ‘G’ ratings for the building, with ‘A’ being the most energy efficient and ‘G’ being the least, with the average up to now being ‘D’. The EPC will also list energy saving recommendations to demonstrate how much more efficient the house could be and how you could save on your bills. Bob Towse, technical advisor for the Heating Helpline, comments, “By obtaining an EPC, students are able to see how energy efficient their property really is and can start to make subtle changes such as using compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) bulbs or setting the room thermostat to 21°C if necessary. These small changes can help to save money on their bills and help those student loans go further. “Tenants could also encourage their landlord to make bigger changes such as replacing an old (e.g. ten years plus) appliance with an energy efficient ‘A’ or ‘A+’ model which can help to save CO2 emissions and money.” Further information and energy saving tips are available via the free Heating Helpline on 0800 840 4069 or at the website www.heatinghelpline.org.uk. Ends