Ikea ventures into flat-pack homes

Ikea is putting on sale flat-pack homes, with their own plot of land, at the furniture giant's store in Gateshead, Tyne & Wear today.
The timber-framed homes will be targeted at first-time buyers struggling to get on the property ladder.

The concept was pioneered in Sweden in the 1990s and has grown in popularity with more than 1,000 of the houses springing up each year across Scandinavia.

Home improvement enthusiasts, however, will be denied the ultimate DIY project since all the properties will already be assembled.


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Tax relief for carbon-neutral homes

From today, buyers of new 'zero-carbon' homes no longer have to pay stamp duty.

The change, announced in the 2006 Pre-Budget Report, means that buyers of a home certified as carbon-neutral will pay no stamp duty, up to a maximum relief of £15,000 on a £500,000 property.

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) says that the purpose of the measures is to "kick start the market for zero-carbon homes, encourage microgeneration technologies, and raise public awareness of the benefits of living in zero-carbon homes".

The new relief will be valid until 2012, and only applies to buyers of new properties.

The building industry, which was recently criticised for failing to deliver more green homes, has reacted coolly to the measures. A spokesperson for the Home Builders Federation told BBC News that he "could not think of a single development right now that would qualify for the relief".
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'Zero carbon' not yet defined

The government says the regulation is designed to "help kick start the market for zero-carbon homes, encourage microgeneration technologies, and raise public awareness of the benefits of living in zero-carbon homes".

It hopes that by 2016 all new homes will be built to zero carbon standard.

The move is part of the government's drive to cut back the UK's generation of greenhouse gases, which cause climate change.

However, the Treasury has yet to provide an exact definition of what actually makes a zero carbon home.

In a Budget "impact assessment" published in March, the Treasury said that a "zero-carbon home is one that does not consume fossil fuels for heat and power".

"It is highly insulated and uses renewable energy to power its needs over a year through micro generation.

"Heat and power technologies include ground source heat pumps, photovoltaic cells, solar water heaters and wind turbines."

"It will draw from the grid when the microgeneration [e.g. solar panels] is insufficient but could sell excess generation back to the grid."

The Treasury says it will have agreed a more detailed definition by the end of November.

House builders hope for a flexible definition of the term "zero carbon".


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Green boiler ratings for UK homes

Homeowners can cut their fuel bills by asking for a free energy inspection on their boiler when an engineer visits.

The latest government initiative is part of the wider drive to help consumers make their homes more energy-efficient.

Heating and hot water are the largest utility costs, though most people remain unaware the average boiler is 'E' rated and has the potential to produce over 50 per cent more heat.

Experts have pointed out that a family could save up to £100 every year by getting a water cylinder jacket, installing heat controls and insulating their hot water pipes.

"With winter heating bills just around the corner, now is the perfect time to get a maintenance check on your boiler. This new energy assessment for boilers will help households cut their fuel bills and carbon footprint too," said communities minister Iain Wright.

He pointed out that the next time an engineer visits, consumers should ask him or her to check their boiler so they can find out how efficient it is and what improvements and savings can be made.

According to the Heating and Hot Water Industry Council, there are still around four million old boilers being used in homes. Replacing them could save two and a half million tonnes of carbon every year by 2010.

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Helping home owners meet the green challenge

Two-thirds of home owners believe they are making an effort to reduce their carbon footprint, while 80% say they would be more likely to buy a new home that was eco-friendly, according to new research by Redrow Homes.

A survey of some of its home owners to assess their eco habits and awareness, brought replies from 20% of respondents that they were doing everything they possibly could, whilst 45% believe they make an effort in the more important areas.

In particular home owners appear to be taking positive action in areas such as using low-energy light fittings (72%); using segregated recycling bins (70%); having ‘A-rated’ energy-efficient appliances in their homes (69%); recycling glass and plastic-based products (81%); recycling newspapers and other paper-based products (85%); not leaving electrical appliances on stand-by (78%).

Redrow’s survey coincides with the company’s introduction of a range of eco-options that customers can now choose when personalising their new home through the ‘Indulge with Redrow’ package.

New homes are already inherently more energy efficient than older properties thanks to modern standards of insulation, efficient heating systems and double glazing. However, purchasers can now choose to introduce a range of additional energy saving measures to their brand new Redrow home, including low energy light fittings, motion sensors and light timing devices, zonal heating controls and solar water heating.

They can also select kitchen waste segregation bins to be built into their base units, flow restrictors on all taps and showers, plus compost bins and water butts for the garden.

Further examples of home owners’ individual endeavours to be more energy efficient include filling the kettle with only the amount of water needed (85%); turning down the central heating (77%) and hanging out the washing to dry rather than using a tumble dryer (76%).
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