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Keeping warm this winter, the energy saving trust checklist PDF Print E-mail
Wednesday, 21 October 2009 09:16


Check your insulation is up to scratch

Improved insulation will keep your home heated for longer without wasting energy or money. Most people have some level of insulation, but it’s worth checking to see if it could be improved. The thicker the insulation, the more you’ll save. We recommend using 270mm of insulation, which could save you up to £150 on fuel bills, depending on your current insulation level.

As well as the loft, you should also check your walls. About one third of heat lost in an uninsulated home is through the walls. Insulating wall cavities could save you around £115 a year on your energy bills. It costs about £250 to install so you can recover your costs in two-years, and it only takes a few hours to fit. If cavity wall insulation is not suitable for your home, try solid wall insulation.

Wave goodbye to draughts

Draught proofing is one of the most inexpensive and effective energy efficiency measures you can carry out – no matter how big or small your home. Draught proofing could save you £25 on you energy bills and 130kg of carbon dioxide a year. And the good news is that if you’re a DIYer, you can probably do the draught proofing yourself. Check for the typical sources of draughts - gaps between or around floorboards, around windows or doors, pipe-work, windows, loft hatches, electrical fittings, ceiling-to-wall joints, letterboxes, chimneys, redundant extractor fans and cracks in walls.

Switch to energy saving lightbulbs

You will be using your lights a lot more during the darker winter months, so switch to energy saving lightbulbs. These use up to 80% less electricity than standard bulbs and last around 10 times longer. Depending on how long your lights are in use each day, just one energy saving lightbulb could save you on average around £2.50 a year, and around £6 for brighter bulbs or those used for more hours a day. And because it will last around 10 times longer than a standard bulb, it could save you around £40 before it needs replacing.

Get a healthy boiler and insulated pipes

Get someone to service your boiler to make sure your heating system is healthy before winter sets in. You can also bleed your radiators so they work more effectively. If you have a hot water tank, check if your water pipes and hot water tank are properly insulated. If not, lag the pipes and tank to prevent hot water cooling. This could save you around £35 a year.

Take control of your heating system

Use heating controls to make sure you only heat the rooms you are using. Keep doors closed so that the heat stays where you want it. There are lots of different types of heating controls – programmers, room thermostats, cylinder thermostats and thermostatic radiator valves. Heating controls are easy to install but you will need to take the time to learn about different programming systems.

Finally, remember to adjust your heating controls when daylight saving time moves our clocks backwards on October 28th.
 
Estate agents doubling price of HIPs PDF Print E-mail
Thursday, 03 September 2009 13:18

House sellers are being charged twice as much for a home information pack by some estate agents than if they shopped around for an independent provider.

Some estate agents demand more than £500 for the packs – nearly £300 more than a specialist source.

Using a three-bed house in south London and a two-bed flat in the same area, consumer watchdog Which? Money compared the price of Hips, which vendors must have before they can put their property on the market.

Halifax Estate Agents was the most expensive for the house at £413, while independent Fridays Property Lawyers was the cheapest at £189. Estate agent Spicerhaart topped the list of the most expensive providers for the flat, charging £516 for a Hip - far more than Energyreporter.

'Don't be fooled into thinking that you have to buy it from your estate agent,' said James Daley, editor of Which? Money. 'You could save hundred of pounds by shopping around.'

Paul Smith, boss of Spicerhaart, said 'The majority of the lower cost or free Hip providers add on fees elsewhere, for example, making it a condition you use their conveyancing services.'

Source - Metro.co.uk
 
Always use an Independent HIP Provider PDF Print E-mail
Wednesday, 26 August 2009 12:16

People can pay twice as much for their home information pack if they get it from an estate agent rather than buying it directly from a specialist provider, research has shown.

Consumer magazine Which? Money said a HIP could cost nearly £300 more if it was provided by the estate agent handling the sale of the property, compared with if the homeowner had shopped around among independent providers.

HIPs aim to speed up the house selling process by providing more of the information that potential buyers need up front, and homeowners in England and Wales must now have one of the packs in place before they can begin marketing their property.

Which? Money looked at the cost of HIPs provided by a range of estate agents and independent providers on a three-bedroom freehold property and a two-bedroom leasehold flat, both in Balham in London.

It found that Halifax Estate Agents provided the most expensive HIP for the three bedroom property at £413, while independent provider Fridays Property Lawyers offered the cheapest one at £189.

Estate agent Spicerhaart topped the list of the most expensive providers for the flat, charging £516 for a HIP, nearly £300 more than Hip Save at £224. The average cost of a HIP provided by the estate agents questioned was £368, including VAT, for the three-bedroom home and £395 for the flat, compared with an average of £254 and £283 respectively for the independent HIP providers.

James Daley, editor of Which? Money, said: "It's now compulsory to get a Home Information Pack before you put your house or flat on the market.

"But don't be fooled into thinking that you have to buy it from your estate agent. Our research shows that the most expensive high street agents charge over twice as much as the cheapest online Hip providers - so you could save hundred of pounds by shopping around for the best deal."

But Mike Ockenden, director general of the Association of Home Information Pack Providers, which has both estate agents and independent providers among its members, was not surprised by the research.

He said: "You would expect that if you buy a product online it is usually going to be cheaper than buying it in a shop, so you would expect it to be more expensive from an estate agent than if you search the market online."
 
Wasted money claim is inaccurate PDF Print E-mail

Shadow Housing Minister Grant Shapps’s statement that “half of HIPs money is wasted” is simply inaccurate.

He states that in 2008 1.1m HIPs were purchased, but only 650,000 homes were sold. Perhaps however Mr Shapps should have stopped to consider how many of these properties went on to be sold in 2009? While it is easy to interpret statistics on an annual basis this type of oversimplification makes accurate analysis impossible.

By using the statistics in this way Mr Shapps fails to take into account the most basic workings of the market. I’m also unable to see how this assertion corresponds with his previous claim that non-compliance levels for 2008 were 50%.

It must be noted that the Shadow Housing Minister is now alone in claiming that HIPs have had an adverse affect on the property market. His immovable stance on the issue is increasingly worrying, particularly given that property professionals are now almost universal in their calls for HIPS to be adapted rather than scrapped.

In the current climate both the industry and the public are in need of guidance, not contradictory or misleading statements.
 
Using HIP Code is Top Priority PDF Print E-mail

HIP CODE COMPLIANT PACKS MUST BE TOP PRIORITY FOR AGENTS

With the 6th April legislative changes in place, it is now imperative that agents select a HIP provider that subscribes to the HIP Code to ensure they receive quality, compliant packs and do not leave themselves liable to fines or legal action, warns the Association of Home Information Pack Providers (AHIPP).

The introduction of the Property Information Questionnaire (PIQ) and the need to have the HIP in place – not just ordered - before the property can be marketed, is putting further pressure on the pack providing industry, while increasing both the consumers’ involvement in the process and their awareness of the HIP.

The ability to offer an efficient and high standard of product with fast turnaround times is now paramount. The quality and the time taken to produce a HIP will not only impact on the pack provider’s reputation but on that of the agent too. Therefore it is essential that agents only work with a pack provider that subscribes to the Code.

Mike Ockenden, Director General, AHIPP comments:

“This week’s legislative changes have placed an increased importance on the quality of the HIP and agents must now take a very careful look at the HIPs that they are procuring. Not only will they be responsible and liable for fines if the pack is not compliant but, essentially, their reputation is now directly on the line.

“To ensure quality and avoid potential problems going forward, it is essential that agents choose a pack provider that subscribes to the HIP Code. The Code sets out minimum standards and ensures stringent regulation and redress for all those who obtain their HIPs through a registered provider. To act in the best interests of themselves and their clients, agents should look for the HIP Code logo.”
 
Use HIP Code subscribers PDF Print E-mail

Please click on link below to see the BBC Watchdog programme warning consumers about using HIP providers who are not HIP Code subscribers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3bumfapfc8
 
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