Retirement Home Information Pack.co.uk

The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive

The aim of the Directive is to greatly enhance the awareness of energy use in buidings and it is intended to lead to substantial increases in investments in energy efficiency measures within these buildings.

Directive 2002/91/EC of the European Parliament and Council, on the energy performance of buildings, was originally agreed in Brussels in December 2002 coming into force on 4th January 2003. Legislation was required to be in place by 4th January 2006, and affects all buildings, both domestic and non-domestic.

The following gives an overview of the Diective:

Why was the directive introduced?

Increased energy efficiency constitutes an important part of the package of policies and measures needed to comply with the Kyoto Protocol and this Directive is intended to contribute towards achieving this.

The 160 million dwellings in the European Union use over 40% of Europe's energgy and create over 40% of its carbon dioxide emmissions, and that proportion is increasing.

How is this energy used?

Heating fuel is by far the most important component with some 57% of domestic consumption being attributed to haeting fuel and around 25% accounted for by water heating.

How much of this energy can be saved?

According to the European energy commissioner, a cost effective savings potential of around 22% of present consumption can be realised by 2010.

How much can this directive reduce the threat of climate change?

According to the European climte change programme, the directive could deliver uo to 45 million tonnes of carbon dioxide reduction by 2010. In order to meet the agreed Kyoto targets, the European Union must implement reductions of 330 million tonnes between 1990 and 2010.

The Directive sets general principles providing for a system of energy performance requirements and whilst the objectives are established at EU level the detailed implementation is left to member states. The Directive confines itself to the minimum required in order to achieve those objectives and does not go beyond what is necessary for that purpose.

It will look to:

• Implement a regualr inspection and re evaluation regime
  
• Introduce agreed measurements of realtive energy performance
  
• Require higher standards for upgrading energy performance
  
• Improve standards for new buildings.

The Directive is divided into 15 main articles and the following gives an overview of each one:

Article 1: - Objective

The objective is to promote the improvement of energy performance of buildings by requiring:

• a methodology to calculate the integrated energy performance of buildings
  
• mimimum energy requirements for new buildings
  
• minimum energy requirements for large existing buildings being renovated
  
• energy certification of buildings
  
• regular inspection of boilers and air conditioning systems.

Article 2 - Definitions :

Content of a Home information Pack

Required documents must be included in the pack where appropriate and authorised documents may be included at the seller's descretion.

The Home Information Pack Regulations 2006 set out provisions on the 'required' and 'authorised' content of the Pack. Required documents must be included in the pack where appropriate and authorised documents may be included at the seller's discretion.

The required documents are:

• An index (ie a list of the contents of the Pack).
  
• A sale statement (summarising terms of sale)
  
• Evidence of Title
  
• Standard Searches (ie local authority enquiries and a drainage and water search).
  
• An Energy Performance Certificate
  
• Commonhold Information where appropriate (including a copy of the community statement)
  
• Leasehold Information where appropriate (including a copy of the lease, information on service charges and insurance).
  
• New Homes Warranty where appropriate
  
• Report on a home that is not physically complete ( where appropriate)

The authorised documents include:

• Guarantees and Warranties
  
• Home Condition Report
  
• Other Searches

An authorised document means that sellers can use them to top up their Packs voluntarily to include additional material where thay judge that to be of interst to prospective buyers.

An energy survey was intended originally to be carried out as part of the Home Condition Report (HCR) to give a certificate including a SAP rating, an environmental rating, and advice on improvements. The Home Condition Report is not now a mandatory part of the Home Information Pack (HIP) but the EPC will still be required as a mandatory document within the HIP.

The energy certificate uses the latest version of SAP called SAP 2005 which for most houses uses a scale of 1 to 100. For a house to have a SAP of more than 100 its running costs would have to be less than zero - in other words it would need to generate more electricity than it uses (for instance from photovoltaic panels) and be so well insulated that the income from the excess electricity, if it were sold to the grid, would be more tahn the space and water heating cost.

The final certificate will give an environmental rating based on carbon dioxide emmissions and also provide an assessment of the options to improve the house and the effect on the SAP rating.

The SAP is an energy running-cost label for the house the same as we have had for many years for fridges and freezers but extended to cover property.