Energy performance certificates – who needs the Government?

By Peter Thom, Managing Director of Green Heat, Cambridge, and President of the Institute of Domestic Heating & Environmental Engineers

After much deliberation the Government has slowly been introducing energy performance certificates (EPCs).

These are required to be provided for all homes by European legislation - the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) which must be fully implemented by 2009.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Secretary of State for the Environment Hilary Benn recently announced that the Government would provide funding of £100 million for the development of a ‘green homes’ service over the next three years.

This designed to ease the confusion surrounding EPCs, confusion which was created by the Government in the first place due to poor communication and ineffective information being available.

We would question if this is really necessary when the professionals providing the relevant services have already taken it upon themselves to ensure their clients and communities understand the requirements of, and benefits of a home energy assessment.

There is a growing army of domestic energy assessors (DEAs) who have been trained and are qualified to provide EPCs. This includes a growing number of heating engineers.

In addition to this, more than 62,000 heating installers have obtained the Energy Efficiency Heating qualification. It is estimated that over £50 million has been invested in training, qualifications and registrations.

Having recognised the confusion being created and the limitations of the legislation, we have used our experience and with the support of three industry groups within the Energy Efficiency Partnership for Homes have developed a website which addresses the issues.

The website provides guidance and direction towards competent and qualified installers, green mortgages, green energy tariffs, grants and even DEFRA’s Carbon Calculator and a search facility for qualified DEAs.

EPCs4u is also supported by the major industry trade and professional bodies, including IDHEE, CORGI, HETAS, OFTEC, HHIC, NIA, EST and Network Veka.

We do therefore question the reason for the Government throwing £100 million at yet another scheme to promote energy efficiency, when the industry itself has already taken on the task at no cost to the tax payer.

Furthermore, article 8 of the EPBD requires that energy efficiency advice must be provided for boilers and air conditioning.

Again the industry has taken the lead. We have helped Government to produce a number of quick checklists to be used by service engineers to help identify the older inefficient boilers and to help encourage their replacement.

Peter Thom is president of the Institute of Domestic Heating & Environmental Engineers for the second time having previously been President from 1998 to 2000. He is also managing director of Cambridge-based Green Heat, an energy efficiency and environmental consultancy.