Energy Saving Week

In support of Energy Saving Week (22nd to 28th of October), a flag ship week run by the Energy Saving Trust, www.leaseholdersupport.co.uk has teamed up with construction industry specialists, PDM Consultants, to provide block of flats that are self managed with energy saving tips for communal areas. www.leaseholdersupport.co.uk and PDM Consultants, www.pdmconsultants.co.uk recommends the following energy saving tips. -Use energy saving bulbs and when upgrading buy energy saving fittings. -Make sure the communal areas are well insulated, and have been draught proofed. -Actively monitor the energy levels used in communal areas, by using an energy testing box.

This can be attached to your electricity meter or fuse box and displays your current energy usage. Publish the results so leaseholders can be aware of how much energy they are using and as to how much it's costing them. Maintenance is hugely important to reduce heat loss. For example, by repairing cracked windows that leak heat the utility bills and carbon emissions will fall.

Heat Recovery 

Heat recovery systems can also be used in communal areas to reduce the heating requirement of both the communal space and individual dwellings. Heat Recovery Ventilation system recovers 60-70% of the heat normally lost through trickle vents and other breakout points in the building structure by re-circulating fresh warm air. Seek out the unnecessary use of electricity, energy saving light bulbs with daylight sensors and motion detectors should be installed to make the communal space more environmentally friendly and functional.

Leaseholders support provides flat owners with tools to take the hassle out of managing a block and a full accounts service too. Membership to leaseholdersupport.co.uk costs from £60 per year (+vat). Energy Saving Week aims to raise awareness on how we, as individuals, can make a positive difference to reducing our impact on the environment, www.energysavingtrust.org.uk Notes for the editor:

For further media information, please contact Sam Bevington on 0870 850 6158 or sam@blackchilli.co.uk About www.leaseholdersupport.co.uk www.leseholdersupport.co.uk is a set of tools and services that take the hassle out of managing your own block. From £525 per year (+VAT) they'll do the essential - and probably the most unpleasant - tasks for you. Things like running a company, service charge accounts and dealing with people who won't pay their share or are breaking the rules.

In the meantime you have access to all the other paperwork and advice needed to run a small block and several interactive tools. They claim they've thought of every conceivable property issue and provide the tools with options for you to do the job and save money or buy pay as you go add ons only when you need them. Most blocks will save around £350 by not needing to hire a separate accountant, £70 a year on bank charges, insurance to members is about 20% cheaper and litigation on bad debts is on a no win, no fee basis.

Skeptics can get 5 factsheets for FREE or for £60 can sign up to the same on-line resource centre and benefit from members rates to pay as you go add ons whilst contemplating whether delegating running the block is for them