DRIFFIELD homeowners planning to rent out their properties are being encouraged to go green thanks to new government legislation.
As of October 1 all properties, including those to rent, require an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) to not only ensure they are energy efficient but to inform homeowners of how much money they could be saving.
The EPC is now a compulsory requ
irement regardless of whether or not the property has a Home Information Pack (HIP) and one Driffield estate agent has praised the move to cover all types of property including residential lettings.
Martin Slater, associate director of Quick and Clarke Estate Agents, on Middle Street South, has recently qualified as a domestic energy assessor and has hailed the new requirement as a step in the right direction which will affect a lot of people in the town. Mr Slater said: “There are a lot of properties to let at the moment because people can’t afford to sell so they are renting them out,
“It’s a good idea because encouraging people to do things that they wouldn’t ordinarily have thought about such as more insulation in the loft or changing their light bulbs to energy saving light bulbs,” he added.
To achieve an energy performance certificate each property is given a current and potential energy efficiency rating based on the amount of energy used per square metre of floor area, fuel costs and carbon dioxide emissions.
The readings obtained depend on the type of wall insulation, windows, heating and lighting in place at the property and the accompanying report provides information and advice about environmentally friendly alternatives.
The full article contains 277 words and appears in Driffield Post newspaper.
