Lawther - Home energy certifications good for sustainability

3.33.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 22nd May 2008

Alliance sustainability spokesperson Cllr Alan Lawther

Alliance sustainability spokesperson Cllr Alan Lawther has welcomed the news that home energy certificates will introduced to Northern Ireland from this summer. Any person wishing to sell their home from July will now require a certificate to indicate how energy efficient their home is. New homes will also require an energy efficiency certificate when they are built from October.

Cllr Lawther said: "This is very good news which should encourage home owners to improve how energy efficient their house is. They will hopefully increase insulation and make sure that all windows are double glazed in their houses. This move could also encourage people to look at alternative means of increasing energy efficiency such as solar panels and ground source heat pumps.

"In the long run this move should mean that people save money on fuel bills, which is very relevant in the current climate of rising fuel bills. Potential home buyers will be more attracted to houses that would save them money on fuel bills, so energy efficiency certificates are the right step in the direction of creating sustainable homes.

"However these certificates should not get tied up in bureaucracy or delay the process of buying houses."

ENDS