Renthusiast2.0

The Greater London Authority issued this press release on behalf of London Mayor Ken Livingstone this afternoon

Mayor helps Londoners gear up for home information packs

With a month to go until the Government introduces Home Information Packs, the Mayor and British Gas have extended their offer of cut-price insulation for homes in the capital until 1st July 2007.

From 1st June, if you are selling your home you will need to have a Home Information Pack before you put your home on the market. A Home Information Pack includes an Energy Performance Certificate, which gives a rating for the building, showing its energy efficiency and its environmental impact on a scale from A-G (A is the most efficient and G the least efficient). It includes information on the construction and location of the house and the fittings such as the heating system, insulation and double glazing for example. By insulating your home you can help to improve your energy efficiency rating.

The home insulation campaign is a first part of the Mayor’s Climate Change Action Plan, which sets out how London can contribute to tackling climate change.

London’s homes are responsible for 38 per cent of London’s emissions and so tackling climate change needs to start at home. Under the Mayor’s offer, Londoners can take advantage of cut-price cavity wall insulation (from £250) and loft insulation from (£274), installed by British Gas. The Mayor and British Gas will give each household that signs up for the offer £100 cash back when the work has been completed (1). Interest free credit will be available and for most households the energy savings will mean that the measures pay for themselves within a year (2).

The offer is available to every household across London that is suitable for the scheme and it is free to those that are on benefits (2). To take up the Mayor’s insulation offer, Londoners need simply to contact the helpline on 0845 070 5059 or for further information go to www.london.gov.uk.

Mayor of London Ken Livingstone said: ‘The new requirement for Home Buyer Packs will enable home buyers to choose ‘green’ when they are looking for a house. Our surveys show that over 82 per cent of Londoners are now concerned about climate change and many want to cut their own carbon emissions. To enable Londoners who are thinking of selling their homes to better prepare for this, I have agreed with British Gas to extend our offer of cut-price home insulation to 1 July. If you are thinking of selling your home, this is the perfect chance to both make a contribution to tackling climate change and to improve the ease of selling your property.’

Housing Minister Yvette Cooper said: ‘Energy Performance Certificates will give consumers energy ratings for homes similar to those found on fridges, helping them to reduce carbon emissions as well as cut their fuel bills. We want homebuyers with poorly rated homes to be able to get extra support so they can make the changes recommended. That’s why I welcome the extension of this deal available to Londoners. The Government is also developing measures to make it easier for homebuyers to access grants for energy efficiency measures, linking them to new EPCs.’

Andrew Reaney, Head of British Gas Residential Energy for London said: ‘ With thousands of Londoners already signed up for our cut-price home insulation, we are keen to keep this offer open for as long as possible to give even more homeowners across the capital maximum opportunity to benefit from this great deal ‘.