One Vision Housing

One Vision Housing has been selected as one of 82 housing associations across England and Wales to take part in the Housing Corporation's pilot Energy Performance Certificates (EPC's).

Forming the central strand of the Government's climate change strategy, the housing associations have been awarded a combined total of £2million in funding to complete 71,000 EPC's before they become compulsory from October 2008.

One of the key components of the Government's new Home Information Packs - or HIPs - Energy Performance Certificates indicate how energy efficient a home is on a scale of A-G. The most efficient homes - which should have the lowest fuel bills - are in band A.

The certificate also reveals, on a scale of A-G, the impact the home has on the environment. Better - rated homes should have less impact through carbon dioxide (C02) emissions.

The average property in the UK is situated in bands D-E for both ratings and the Certificate includes recommendations on ways to improve the home's energy efficiency to save tenants money and help the environment at the same time.

From October 2008 all social housing providers will have to issue EPC's for all their properties and it is hoped that this pilot will allow One Vision Housing the opportunity to gain vital experience of receiving and using EPCs before the national deadline. 

One Vision Housing Chief Executive Roy Williams commented: "As an organisation we have a moral and professional responsibility to the communities which we serve. By taking part in this important trial not only will we be placing ourselves in the best possible position to ensure that our customers benefit from the experience that we will gain, but that they will be amongst the very first households in the UK to benefit from this scheme."

The Government estimate that the introduction of EPC's will result in the reduction of 26 million tonnes of carbon by 2020, a huge reduction given that 27% of all the UK's carbon emissions currently come from homes.

One Vision Housing is committed to effecting beneficial change within our communities and this pilot will form part of the development of a wider environmental management system for the organisation.

Further information here

The A-G rating scale (below) to determine the Energy Efficiency Rating and Environmental Impact Rating of a property.