As Home Information Packs become the norm, the performance of your home, especially when selling, has never been more important.

In fact, as of May 1st, as part of the Governments drive to make all new homes carbon neutral by 2016, all new homes will receive an energy rating.

New builds will be ranked according to the Code for Sustainable Homes, which measures nine categories and the most energy-efficient homes will receive the full six stars. New homes that are not assessed against the code will automatically receive nil.

Speaking at the Eco Build 2008 conference, housing minister Caroline Flint said the ratings would give buyers valuable information about their homes, allowing them to make an informed choice and take action to reduce carbon emissions.

We need to tackle climate change by improving how green and energy-efficient our homes are. New build housing will play an important part in this, and we are already committed to all new housing being zero carbon from 2016. These measures are essential in tackling climate change.

By requiring a rating for all new homes against the Code for Sustainable Homes in the run-up to 2016, we are making the standards that different homes reach more transparent and are creating an important incentive for housebuilders to provide greener, more sustainable homes.”

In years to come, as new builds come up for re-sell, making your own home energy efficient has never been so important, especially if you ever look to sell your home.

PropertyFinder.Com offer Eight great tips on improving the energy efficiency of your home, which includes a tip about windows:

Around 20% of the heat lost from an average home is through the windows. Consider double glazing your windows or secondary double-glazing if you live in a period property. Double-glazing cuts heat loss through windows by 50% and could significantly reduce your heating bill.

If you would like more details about our energy efficient UPVC windows, please visit our website.

Government and local authorities are pressuring homeowners to take climate change seriously by taking action to reduce household carbon emissions. A surprisingly simple method of reducing your carbon footprint, for a relatively small cost is by ensuring your windows are energy efficient.

Domestic housing is the leading CO² generator, accounting for a whopping 30 per cent of total carbon emissions. Heat loss from buildings as a result of poor insulation is a major contributor to household CO² emissions and can be dealt with easily. The major sources of heat loss are the fenestration products within the property, such as the windows and doors.

Local window installers Brackenwood Windows, who strongly support the Government carbon reduction initiatives, explain that the problem can be dealt with easily. Brackenwood’s Managing Director David Medcraft commented,

“Installing energy efficient windows is an important investment. Not only will they substantially lower your energy ratings, fuel bills and carbon footprint but also they will greatly improve your sales prospects. Buyers today are energy-savvy and are aware that a home’s energy rating affects the saleability of the house”.

The Government have put in place energy efficiency measures to ensure those buying and selling homes are carbon conscious. For example, since the 1st of August this year, the sale of every home with four or more bedrooms requires a new Home Information Pack (HIP) and is subject to HIP regulations.

When buying a new property the important part of HIPs is the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). An EPC measures how energy efficient a property is as a building, allowing potential buyers to compare them to one another. The certificate provides the homeowner with an energy efficiency rating taking into account carbon emissions. It is ranked along a scale ranging from A to G. A is highly efficient and G is very inefficient.

HIPs packs and regulations will soon become obligatory, applying to all homes. It therefore essential that the homeowner acts now to improve their household energy rating, this way they save the planet and their pocket.

Innovations in the industry has advanced measurement of a window’s total performance using Window Energy Ratings, a scheme set up by the British Fenestration Rating Council (BFRC). The Window Energy Rating scheme helps consumers to make a more informed decision when buying windows allowing homeowners to the opportunity to improve their household energy efficiency.

Local company based in Basingstoke, Brackenwood, stock the latest range of energy efficient windows and boast an extensive range of styles to suit all budgets. All the windows are BFRC accredited and thermally efficient enabling homeowners across Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire to be energy efficient.

In celebration of over 20 years of quality service, David Medcraft invites local homeowners to view their their comprehensive showroom in Basingstoke. David enthused,

“Come and ask our experts to view our fantastic range and don’t forget to enter our prize draw to win a luxury case of champagne”.

For more information about energy efficient window and doors come and visit us at Brackenwood House, Kimbell Road, in Basingstoke or call 0800 253545, alternatively visit the website www.brackenwood.com.