Should all homes have an energy efficiency certificate?

Question

http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/52622.html

Answer 1

The key word is "all." In a free society, it is often better to encourage improvements on a voluntary basis, especially when monthly cost savings must be balanced against the outlay for improvements. Reducing carbon dioxide omissions may be a worthy objective (e.g., to meet kyoto goals) however a low income family may be better off spending the cost of a survey (perhaps $500) on actual improvements to lower their power bills. Also the survey likely would not cover habits such as taking long hot showers that require water heaters to burn gas or consume electric power, thus producing carbon dioxide. Often mandatory requirements establish an industry and lead to fraud. Removal of asbestos is just one example where contractors were prosecuted for doing shoddy work while receiving high pay. On the other hand, having a voluntary energy certificate could lead to a higher property value when executed just prior to selling an energy-effecient house.

Answer 2

NAH