Vol. 543 No. 2
533 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he will introduce a comprehensive energy rating method for dwellings in the forthcoming revision of TGDL; and if he will make compulsory the provision of an energy certificate to buyers of dwellings. [26743/01]
In 1997, I introduced a voluntary heat energy rating method as one of three methods of demonstrating compliance with Part L of the building regulations, conservation of fuel and energy. The Irish Energy Centre, in partnership with the energy research group UCD, developed software, which is available free of charge, to facilitate the use of this method by designers and builders.
I have recently published consultation documents proposing to radically increase the thermal performance and insulation standards for all new dwellings commencing on or after 1 July 2002. Given the much improved energy performance standards proposed for all new dwellings, there would be little advantage to be gained from introducing mandatory energy certification in parallel with these requirements. My Department will, however, ask the Irish Energy Centre to upgrade the software for the voluntary heat energy rating method to reflect the proposed higher thermal performance standards. The real value of energy certification is in the context of the existing dwelling stock. Given the age distribution of the stock, there is considerable variation in energy performance between older dwellings which were built without specific energy conservation measures and those which have been upgraded by their owners. Accordingly, energy certification could provide valuable information to potential purchasers of older houses. For this reason, the national climate change strategy, which I published in November 2000, includes a proposal that vendors of existing dwellings built prior to the coming into operation of the building regulations on I June 1992 should be required to provide an energy rating certificate. It is envisaged that contractors providing services for the purchases of this system would be supervised by the Irish Energy Centre.
