Testimonials

Buy new and save thousands on energy bills

The cold winter saw many of us cranking up the thermostat, but with OFGEM predicting long term hikes in energy bills, homeowners need to be more savvy than ever when it comes to cutting down on running costs. New homes have long claimed benefits over old in terms of energy efficiency, but now independent research commissioned by McCarthy & Stone, the UK market leader in retirement living, shows that owners of older properties could be paying almost three times more for their energy bills than those in a new McCarthy & Stone apartment.

Efficiency

McCarthy & Stone used an independent, qualified assessor† to compare the energy efficiency and estimated cost of fuel bills for two properties - a traditional semidetached house built in the early 1900s, and a brand new McCarthy & Stone retirement apartment. The results showed a stark difference, with energy costs totalling an estimated £1,408 a year in the older property compared to an estimation of just £525 in the new apartment*. CO2 emissions from the older property were also nearly four times higher than those of the new build home. McCarthy & Stone’s national sales director, Lorena Brown, comments: “Rising energy prices are a concern for everyone but the over 60s are particularly vulnerable to hikes in fuel bills.

Many of our prospective purchasers currently live in larger second hand properties which are expensive to run, just like the one in the study. By moving to a new McCarthy & Stone apartment, homeowners can benefit from a range of energy saving features as standard, such as double glazing, cavity wall insulation, energy efficient heating and low energy light fittings. As our research shows, these features make modern homes significantly more energy efficient than older properties, leading to dramatically reduced fuel bills.

Heat lost

Thermal imagery was also used to compare the energy efficiency of the two homes. The thermal images captured the amount of heat lost on a cold January evening and highlighted dramatic heat loss from the older property. In the image shown, pale yellow, red and white tones indicate where heat loss is greatest, notably around the windows of the older property. The blue and purple of the brand new McCarthy & Stone apartment illustrate low heat loss and a more energy efficient home.

As well as the energy savings offered by her new McCarthy & Stone apartment at Kings Meadow Court in Lydney, Celia Dunn (62) discovered additional benefits to living in a purpose built retirement development during the severe winter weather. Celia explains: “The snow has really brought to the forefront of my mind why I love being at a retirement development. As a widow, the thought of those being alone in their house during this weather must be a nightmare. They would be housebound and completely isolated. “Instead, I’ve been able to pop down to the residents’ lounge any time of day - anyone who is looking for company can find it and we don’t have to tackle the icy streets. “Being part of a community means I will never be isolated. I can knock on my neighbours’ door or speak to the house manager, and if I really get into difficulty, there is a 24 hour emergency Careline. One of the residents’ daughters brought some of us who couldn’t venture out to the shops essential supplies on a sledge!”

† Research conducted by IRT Surveys Ltd of Dundee on 14th January 2010.

* Costs have been based on national average fuel prices. Breakdown of costs as follows:

Calculations are based on the Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) and take into account the building type, heating and lighting. Occupancy level data is not taken into account in these calculations. For further information on SAP see www.projects.bre.co.uk/sap2005