Certificates obtained by developers often overstate how warm a new home will be, leading to an extra £250 a year in energy bills
Jonathan Leake and Martina Lees
November 19 2017, 12:01am, The Sunday Times
Red and yellow areas of a thermal image show where heat is leaking from a houseALAMY
Britain’s biggest housebuilders build “crap houses” that cheat the public because their energy efficiency is far lower than claimed — typically costing buyers £250 a year in extra fuel, according to Lord Deben, chairman of the government’s committee on climate change.
He believes the energy performance certificates (EPCs) that developers obtain for their new homes routinely overstate how warm they will be — and understate the likely energy bills.
A Sunday Times investigation confirms his allegations, with one accredited energy assessor describing how the industry uses “bodging” tactics to ensure new homes get higher energy ratings than they deserve.
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