With unemployment increasing at an alarming rate in the UK, it has become difficult for people to meet their basic necessities. People not only have to deal with falling incomes, but also have to deal with a rise in prices. The price of utilities and essential commodities has been rising. Today, households in UK spend more than 10 per cent of their income on utilities like gas, electricity and phone. Some homes in the UK have inadequate energy saving mechanisms, which further increases the use of these utilities. Therefore, it is important that homes have better heating and insulation systems that will help in reducing energy bills.
The Decent Home programme launched by the UK government has reduced the number of homes that have inadequate energy saving mechanisms. Social housing in the UK has resulted in a 5-fold rise in the Standard Assessment Procedure, or SAP Rating, which is high when compared to growth in the SAP rating in the private sector.
Almost all houses in the social sector have a SAP rating of at least 30. The success of the Decent Home programme has inspired the government to go further and ensure that all social housing stock are able to meet the requirements of SAP. This will not only help in reducing the consumption of energy resources, but will also help in reducing poverty in the country. The government has also launched a Decent Homes Plus programme to ensure that all buildings in the social sector comply with thermal comfort criteria.
Apart from building energy efficient homes, the government of the UK is also taking steps to reduce the carbon emission levels. The government launched the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target, or CERT, to reduce the carbon emission level in the social housing sector. This reduction in the carbon emission level has resulted in lower energy consumption in the social sector. Apart from CERT, the government has launched various schemes to reduce the consumption of utilities. The government is also planning to launch solar pumps and heaters in the social sector, to deal with the insulation problems in low-income households. The government is also encouraging people to come forward with new ideas to help reduce energy costs.
The government has asked all public buildings to get Display Energy Certificate or DEC, which displays the energy used by the building. This certificate must be displayed in the public building at all times, so people entering the building can check the energy efficiency of the building. The government has also made it mandatory for all buildings that are on lease, sale or rent, to get a Commercial Energy Performance Certificate or Commercial EPC. This certificate will be issued after the building has been checked by the Non-Domestic Energy Assessor, or NDEA. If a new building in built in the social and private housing sector, it will require a visit from the Domestic Energy Assessor.
There are many companies in UK that offer energy saving products for both the public and private housing sector. It is important that households get these products to reduce the consumption of energy resources. This will not only help them meet energy saving and carbon emission norms, but will also help them in reducing their energy bills.
Author Resource:-
Gallions housing Association offers social housing in London and the South East. Find out more about our affordable housing schemes today.
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