With the arrival of colder weather the Housing Executive has advised householders to carry out simple tasks to keep their homes warmer and reduce their energy bills. Read the rest of this post »
Enviromental
A modern example of green living.
Posted: September 2nd, 2011
URL: http://www.propertypal.com/21-gallagh-road-toomebridge/141413
‘Going green’ and looking after and caring for the environment, in a sustainable way is not always easy. With modern society increasingly living busy lives, and with many lower barrier to entry alternatives available, the majority of us opt for the easier options, particularly if the homes we buy or rent have already energy choices available. Read the rest of this post »
14 energy-efficient ways to cut bills this winter
Posted: November 30th, 2009
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last six months or so, you’ll have realized that the UK is in the grip of a recession that’s refusing to be swept aside even by a plethora of government economy-stimulation measures. Yawn, yawn, yawn, we hear you cry – and yes, we’re sick of hearing about it too. But there’s no getting around the fact that desperate times call for desperate measures, and with very few spare pennies floating around at the minute it’s in everyone’s best interests to make their money work harder. When it comes to shaving vital pounds off those nasty household bills, energy efficiency is key, and it’s a win-win situation; you save money and do your bit to save the planet too! Here are our top tips for reducing your energy bills this winter:
EPC spot checks.
Posted: March 27th, 2009
Anyone selling their house in NI without the required energy performance document may soon be facing a stiff fine.
It has just been revealed that householders marketing their home without an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) when government officials undertake visits next week will face fines of up to £1,000.
The Department of Finance and Personnel (DFP) will be carrying out a series of spot checks at properties being marketed for sale or rent in a bid to see if an EPC is in place.
EPCs, which rates energy efficient on a scale of A to G, became a legal requirement for all residential properties for sale or rent last year.
However, this announcement is the first clear sign from the DFP of enforcing the legislation and penalising those householders or landlords who don’t have an EPC.
Local estate agents have already received a letter from the department spelling out its intention to impose penalties on those who don’t comply with the requirements.
“We intend undertaking follow-up visiting during the coming weeks,” said the letter adding the department was of the view “sufficient time has elapsed since the introduction of the regulations”.
New Eco-Friendly Housing Scheme for Bangor.
Posted: February 17th, 2009
Oaklee Housing Association have announced a new eco-friendly social housing scheme at Shaftesbury in Bangor. The development will consist of thirty four, two bedroom apartments, boasting a number of energy saving features.
The apartments will have photovoltaic roof panels which convert sunlight into electricity and will be some of the first public funded homes in Northern Ireland to satisfy the new Code Level 3 environmental impact rating system. The Code has been designed to encourage sustainability and increase energy efficiency.
The apartments will be available only to people over the age of 55. The scheme has been praised by Housing Minister, Margaret Ritchie. ”The delivery of highly energy efficient and sustainable public sector housing is a key priority for my department, especially given the volatility in energy prices and living costs.” says the Minister.
Oaklee and MMM Design & Build have considered everything, right down to the planting. Mr Brian McVeigh from MMM Design & Build said his company was “also focused on providing highly efficient internal and external fittings”. “Waste management and recycling is another key design feature with internal storage bins within each apartment allowing the recycling of three types of waste.”
The effects of all these eco-friendly measures are estimated to produce a 25% improvement in CO2 emissions over traditional building regulation requirements.
