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Volume V o olume 55 | Issue 3 | M March arch 2017
Green G reen h homes omes ccan an iimprove mprove health h ealth a and nd reduce reduce poverty poverty
An new ew report report argues argues that that a national national programme programme o off h home ome rrenovation enovation w will ill help help to to reduce reduce fuel fuel bills, bills, iimprove mprove h health ealth llevels e els and ev and provide provide over over 100,000 100,000 new new jobs jobs from from energy energy efficiency. efficiency. T he construction constr uct ion a nd property proper t y industry indust r y The and c an help help to to address address some some of of the t he biggest big gest can c hallenges ffacing acing G over nment, c la i m s a challenges Government, claims n ew rreport eport iissued ssued b y tthe he U KG reen B uilding new by UK Green Building C ouncil ((UK-GBC). UK-GBC). The The report, report, presented presented tto o Council P arliament a t he end end o ebr uar y, argues arg ues Parliament att the off F February, tthat hat tthe he e nv ironment iis sn ot tthe he o nly tthing hing environment not only tto o benefit benefit from from more more energy energ y efficient efficient homes homes a nd pr operties, a s llow-carbon ow-carbon b uildings can can and properties, as buildings a lso reduce reduce household household bills bills and and fuel fu uel poverty, poverty, also iimprove mprove tthe he h ealth o ccupants, a nd b oost health off o occupants, and boost llocal ocal employment employ ment a nd sskills k i l ls g r ow t h . and growth. He aded ‘‘Building Building P laces T hat W ork ffor or Headed Places That Work E ver yone’, the the report report features fe eatures a wide wide range range Everyone’, o ase studies st udies tto o sshowcase howcase the t he benefits benefits off c case o est pr act ice d esig n a nd e nerg y ssaving av ing off b best practice design and energy iinitiatives. nit iat ives. T hese iinclude nclude a p ilot sscheme cheme These pilot iin n S underland, ffrom rom 2 014 tto o 2 016, w here Sunderland, 2014 2016, where e nerg y e fficiency u pgrades w ere c arried o ut energy efficiency upgrades were carried out iin n the the homes homes of of a small small number number of of vulnerable vulnerab ble rresidents esidents iin n order order to to study st udy the t he impact impact on on tthe he h ealth of of residents. residents. At At the the end end of of an an 18 18 health m ont h ttrial, r ial, tthere here was was a 60% 60% reduction reduct ion in in month
G P appointments appointments and and a 22% 22% reduction reduc u t ion in in GP o ut pat ient appointments, appointments, compared compared to to a outpatient co ntro ol group group where where no no home home improvements impro ovements control h ad taken taken place. place. A ccording tto o tthe he rreport, epor t, had According tthe he pilot pilot has has been been rreplicated eplicated e lsewhere and and elsewhere h as g enerated a h uge a mount of of interest interest has generated huge amount ffrom rom h ealt hcare p rofessionals. healthcare professionals. A ell as as less less strain strain on on local local healthcare healthcare Ass w well
ser v ices ffrom rom e lderly a nd v ulnerable services elderly and vulnerable residents, tthe he rreport epor t argues arg ues that that too too many many residents, homes iin n tthe he UK UK waste waste energy energ y and and are are too to o homes expensive to to run. run. Energy Energ y efficiency efficiency needs needs to to expensive be made made a national national infrastructure infrastr ucture priority, pr ior it y, be it ssays, ays, p ointing o ut tthat hat iimproving mproving e nerg y it pointing out energy ef ficienc y c an rreduce educe h ousehold ffuel uel bills bi l l s efficiency can household by £300 £30 0 each each y ea r a nd lift lift 90% 90% of of the t he ‘fuel ‘f uel by year and poor’ o ut o uel p over t y. poor’ out off ffuel poverty. The U KG reen Building Building C ouncil rrepresents epresents The UK Green Council net work o onst r uct ion c ompanies a nd a network off c construction companies and related b usinesses a nd iis sp art o orldwide related businesses and part off a w worldwide g roup tthat hat a ims to to promote promote llow ow c arbon group aims carbon solut ions a nd iimprove mprove tthe he ssustainability ustainabilit y solutions and of tthe he built built environment. env ironment. of “Through publishing publishing this t his report, repor t, we we are a re “Through launching a n ew c onversat ion w it h p olic y launching new conversation with policy makers in in pursuit pursuit o hared v ision iin nw hich makers off a sshared vision which t he p laces w e llive iv e a nd w ork c an ssupport uppor t the places we and work can multiple economic, economic, ssocial ocial and and environmental environmental multiple pr ior it ies, u lt imately b uilding p laces tthat hat priorities, ultimately building places work for for e ver yone,” ssays ays JJulie ulie H ir igoyen, work everyone,” Hirigoyen, Chief E xecut ive o K-GBC. Chief Executive off U UK-GBC.
Five F iv ve e tto o be won w wo on o n
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Engineering Engineering efficiency e fficiency
Gass certification Ga certifica ation scheme scheme comes comes and and goes goes At tthe At he b beginning eg inning o off F February, ebr uar y, C Capita, apita, tthe he company c ompany b behind ehind tthe he G Gas as S Safe afe R Register, eg ister, announced a nnounced the the launch launch of of a new new certification certification sscheme cheme tthat hatt was was said said to to set set a new new benchmark benchmark iin nb best est practice practice in in the the management management o off a any ny company c ompany or or organisation organisation involved involved with w ith gas g as rrelated elated matters matters – but but by by the the end end o off tthe he month, mon th, fo following llowing w widespread idespread c criticism riticism from from gas g as installers installers on on social social media, media, the the scheme scheme had h ad been been abandoned. abandoned. T The he U UKAS K AS g gas as ssafety afet y c certification er tification sscheme cheme ffrom rom C apita G as C ompliance Capita Gas Compliance Services S er v ices (CGCS) (CGCS) was was trumpeted tr umpeted as as giving g iv ing businesses b usinesses a competitive competitive edge, edge, as as well well as as ssaving av ing o n a ssessment c osts a nd rraising aising on assessment costs and ssafety afety sstandards. tandards. In In addition, addition, it it was was claimed claimed would tthat hat the the UKAS UKAS accreditation accreditation w ould provide provide
assurance for assurance for organisations organisations and and employees employees against a gainst the the risks r isks of of gas gas safety safet y work. work. Announcing Matthew A nnouncing tthe he sscheme, cheme, M atthew Hickman, H ickman, MD MD at at Capita Capita G Gas as C Compliance ompliance Services, S er vices, said said it it would would give g ive businesses businesses tthat hat go go ‘above ‘above and and beyond’ beyond’ for for gas gas safety safet y work w ork the the recognition recog nition they they deserve deser ve among among customer base and create potential ttheir heir c ustomer b ase a nd c reate p otential new business opportunities. Assessments n ew b usiness o pportunities. A ssess e ments ffor or b businesses usinesses llooking ooking tto o a achieve chieve C CGCS G CS certification c ertification were were to to cover cover a number number of of areas, areas, iincluding ncluding q quality uality c control, ontrol, ssupervision upervision p policies, olicies, sservice er vice w warranties arranties a and nd an an on-site on-site g gas as w work ork assessment a ssessment of of employees employees a and nd contractors. contractors. IIn n response response to to the the launch, launch, hundreds hundreds of of Gas G as Safe Safe registered reg istered installers installers voiced voiced their their opposition, concerned o pposition, c oncerned that that it it would would confuse confuse
customers a customers and nd c create reate a ttwo-tier wo-tier system. system. Over 400 email O ver 4 00 iinstallers nstallers jjoined oined ttogether ogether tto oe mail Capita express displeasure. C apita and and e xprress ttheir heir d ispleasure. A days ffew ew d ays later later Capita Capita replied replied with w ith a short shor t sstatement tatement tthat hat thanked thanked installers installers for for their their feedback and new had fe edback a nd ssaid aid tthat hat tthe he n ew sservice er vice h ad been withdrawn. be en w ithdrawn. Peter P eter B Booth ooth ((@PBplumber) @PBplumber) – w who ho rreceived eceived over his o ver 500 50 0 retweets ret weets on on h is video v ideo tthat hat asked asked not ‘‘Am Am I n ot Gas Gas Safe Safe enough?’ enough?’ – commented: commented: ““It’s It’s great great to to see see what what a group group o off llike-minded ike-minded iindividuals ndividuals can can do do when when they they get get together together for for common ac ommon cause. cause. We We didn’t didn’t feel feel this this scheme scheme was needed and were vocal w as n eeded a nd w ere v ocal about about tthe he ffact. act. IItt our voice was finally heard and sseems eems o ur v oice w as fi nally h eard a nd tthey hey have unwarranted h ave sscrapped crapped tthis h is u nwar ranted scheme. scheme. Common has prevailed.” C ommon ssense ense h as pr evailed.”
The Institution The Institution o off C Civil iv il E Engineers ngineers has h as installed installed Remeha Remeha high high efficiency effficiency ccondensing ondensing boilers boilers at at One One Great Great George George S treet, its its London London h eadquarters, as p art Street, headquarters, part off a m o major ajor rrefurbishment effurb bishment p programme rogramme designed d esigned to to improve impro ove its its energy energ e gy efficiency effficiency and a nd a accessibility. ccessibilit y. Following F ollowing an an invitation invitation tto o ttender, ender,, R emeha re ecommended replacing re eplacing the the old old Remeha recommended b oile er plant plant with with one one G as 6 10 Eco Eco Pro Pro and and boiler Gas 610 one o ne G Gas as 3 310 10 E Eco co Pro Pro o high high efficiency effficie ency boilers boile ers to o meet meet th the he h heat eat de demand. emand. W With itth h the the energy enerrgy ef fficient R emeha 3 10/610 E co Pro Pro boilers boilers efficient Remeha 310/610 Eco n ow fully fully operational, operational, the the Institution Institution of of now Civil C iv vil E Engineers ngineers iis s anticipating anticipating significant significant energy e nerrgy s savings avings iin n th the he rregion egio on o off 3 30 0 tto o5 50%. 0%.
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