Member News
The government's chief construction adviser, Paul Morrell, was among the guests at the launch of a guide to energy-efficient household refurbishment yesterday evening.
An introduction to low-carbon domestic refurbishment, produced by the Construction Products Association, aims to provide builders and households with information and examples on how to refurbish homes to increase energy efficiency.
Morrell applauded the accessibility of the guide, which provides the reader with case studies and examples of refurbished houses and advice on where to seek further information.
Speaking about enforcing some of the ideas contained within the guide, he said:
"I don't think we should just sit and wait for politicians to make the tough choices. But I also think the industry is not going to invest big-time until they see some very clear signals.
"We have to show two things: that we can do this both reliably and affordably."
Fraser Winterbottom, delivery director at the Energy Savings Trust, from which a lot of the information in the guide was taken, highlighted the importance of the issue.
"Half of our carbon emissions come from existing buildings. We need to mobilise refurbishment on a massive scale."
Winterbottom spoke about the key attributes that people look for when deciding to refurbish their property, which the guide is able to provide.
He said that people not only need ideas on what type of refurbishment to do, but also information about what sort of refurbishment is most cost-effective.
"Will I see a payback from my bills or from my property?", is the question he said many homeowners will ask.
Bill Bolsover, chairman of the Construction Products Association, told the audience of the importance of the guide, given the emphasis on energy efficiency to meet the 80 per cent carbon-reduction target of 2050.
But he also warned that by 2050, "Around 26 million homes that have already been built will still be around.
"This is why, as an association, we think we should be looking at the carbon leakage in these homes."
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