Brits Turn Green as House Sales Stall

A survey, conducted by UK heating and hot water specialist Baxi, shows that more and more people are turning their houses green in a bid to beat the housing slump.

The survey shows that 36 per cent of British homeowners would be willing to make environmentally friendly improvements to their property before selling up to ensure a faster sale.

All homes for sale now need to have a Home Information Pack (HIP) which includes an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). By providing a HIP, you can give potential buyers essential information about your home, including the impact it has on the environment. The EPC gives your home a rating from A - G and includes recommendations on ways to improve its energy efficiency.

Baxi, manufacturer of the Duo-tec Combi 28 HE, which achieved the top score of 34 boilers tested in a recent Which? report, says that there are simple things householders can do to make their homes more environmentally appealing.

Lee Robinson, Baxi's customer service director, says simple things are often the most effective: ‘Changes need not be drastic to be a good selling point. Things such as putting an insulation jacket on your hot water cylinder or bleeding radiators can all help to cut carbon dioxide emissions (CO2) and reduce household bills for future householders.’

Baxi's top five tips for householders trying to sell their property are:
• Energy efficient bulbs last far longer than normal bulbs and should be the preferred choice in households. While they are more expensive, they do pay for themselves in their outstanding, long lasting performance, and will help to give your home a high energy efficiency rating.

• Insulation is key! The small measure of a thick coat on your hot water cylinder can result in big reductions in emissions. An 80mm-thick coat costs about £12 and will save £20 a year, but more impressively, 160kg a year can be saved in CO2 emissions.

• Hot air rises! Lots of heat is lost through house roofs, as well as walls. Half of the heat lost from a typical home is through these two areas. So, as well as insulating your hot water cylinder, insulating your loft will make a huge difference, particularly when so much heat is lost through the roof. Fifteen per cent of your heat could be escaping through this way and installing the recommended 270mm will cost about £750 and save you £110 and 1 tonne of CO2 per year.

• High-energy condensing boilers are at the top of the league when it comes to carving emissions. Buying a new high-efficiency condensing boiler will save about 1.7 tonnes of CO2 and £200 a year (according to the Energy Saving Trust).

• Fit thermostatic radiator valves to control temperatures in each room. Save money and CO2 emissions by not heating rooms that are not in use.

Baxi will soon be introducing a domestic micro-CHP (combined heat and power) unit to the UK market. Named Ecogen, it is essentially a wall hung gas boiler which generates 1 kW of electricity for use in the home while providing heating and hot water. The product is set to hit the market in the first quarter of 2009.

For further information on Baxi's range of high efficiency boilers, visit http://www.baxi.co.uk or call 0844 871 1525.