Energy bills are the new hot topic, as we all dig deeper to meet the sky-rocketing costs of heating and cooling our homes.
Just this morning, I sent off my meter readings and in anticipation for April onwards, increased my monthly payments, to bring my account into the black. It hurt, I cant deny it. I long for the days when I lived in a small flat and had the thermostat set at 22 degrees all year round and didn't notice the energy bill at all. Now, in semi detached family house, I pay the same in one month, that I paid in an entire year in my flat. That is shocking. We can just about tolerate heating the house for an hour in the morning and in the evening during the chilliest winter months. The rest of the time its down to extra layers and keeping busy. Dickensian, I know. Poor us. But this makes me think that if this crisis had happened when I was considering buying the house, I am pretty sure that we would not have bought such a large house with such a poor performing EPC.
I know that I am a member of the squeezed middle, so no-one will be crying me a river. I can go without fancy cheese and organic veg. I can book a cheaper summer holiday and wait for prices to inevitably come down again, but a lot of people cannot. They are now in fuel poverty. It's very scary.
The last time Britain was in an energy crisis in the early nineties, it became considerably more difficult to sell large houses. Interest rates, on the rise after unprecedented lows, has resulted in buyers considering what they can afford to pay each month, and not how much money the bank is willing to lend them.
Working in property in some of the finest parts of London, fortunately for Smith & Ericsson, our clients are not likely to be in fuel poverty, but many are increasingly conscious that energy consumption is important for multiple reasons. There is obviously climate change. Or as it should really be called climate disaster. There is the reawakening of the dangers of relying on foreign energy, and there is the matter of changing ideals, where more of us want to do our bit to make life less damaging. This is where we have seen a real difference in our customers requirements. Sustainability and responsibility. When energy performance certificates (EPCs) became a legal requirement, they were nothing other than a colourful corner of a sales brochure. Now they are considered essential study. In fact, to let a property the EPC must be no lower than rating E, and this may change in the future to a higher rating. This is yet another future cost to the landlord, making the already rather unattractive rental investment sector slightly more unattractive.
So what should buyers and tenants look for to lessen the cost and the guilt and to ensure they can really make a difference to the environment?
Consider purchasing or renting in a modern development. Many of these homes hardly require heating at all. They do tend to have rather hefty service charges though and also watch out for dodgy cladding. Installing a Hive system, where the heating is controlled via your phone and can be used just before you need it, saving huge amounts of energy and money. Instead of air-conditioning, the must have of all overseas investors, consider opening a window and getting a nice through breeze. Except for two weeks in late July, this is more than sufficient for our climate. Tap gas fireplaces and make a feature of the space, or remove it altogether and change the focus of the room. Channel your inner interior designer. Block off chimneys, insulate lofts and under floor boards and seriously consider solar panels. They really do work, even in the UK. Just think how smug you could be at dinner parties. You could dine out on this for decades.
Buyers and tenants really want to embrace change and our government claims it wants to encourage this behaviour. For the first time in our modern history, renewable energy is becoming a viable option to the old ways of carbon energy ruling the world. This may be the time for real change.
Whether buyer and tenant behaviour will be permanently altered remains to be seen. Will future generations prize form over function? I think they almost certainly will not. I'd like to see technology increase energy performance ratings in our beautiful, historic English houses and for the high rating, increasingly dull international style, modern homes, increase in historic English beauty. There must be a sensible balance. As a civilised species we have built magnificent cities all over the globe and now, as an energy conscious species of the future, we must save our selves, by saving the planet with renewable energy, but please, let's not lose sight of the beauty.
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