NATIONAL ENERGY FOUNDATION
News Release

The National Home Energy Rating Scheme celebrates its tenth anniversary

The National Home Energy Rating (NHER) Scheme, Britain's most widely used means of energy rating houses, has now been operating for over 10 years. In that period several million homes have been rated and over 1,500 organisations have become Members of the Scheme.

Mrs Thatcher is seen here launching the NHER Scheme in summer 1990 by presenting the first NHER Certificate to an Islington couple. By a strange coincidence, the first home to be rated belonged to the then opposition spokesman on energy - Tony Blair, MP!

The NHER Scheme was developed by the National Energy Foundation using software created by Professor Jake Chapman of the Open University. "When we started work on energy labelling homes at the Energy World exhibition in Milton Keynes in 1986," Professor Chapman told the guests at the Scheme's tenth birthday celebrations, "we had no idea that it would form the basis of a national standard. Since the early days, when the concept was strongly supported by the Milton Keynes Development Corporation, the underlying methodology has been adopted by the Government for their Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) and is now enshrined in Building Regulations." Amongst many individuals who had contributed to the Scheme, he especially thanked Deborah Brownhill, the first Director of the NHER, and George Henderson, formerly of the Building Research Establishment.

Around 100 energy rating experts attended the commemorative event at the National Hockey Stadium in Milton Keynes. Dr Mary Archer, President of the National Energy Foundation, handed out lifetime HENRY Awards to individuals and organisations who had made a strong contribution to the development of energy rating in the UK. Amongst the award winners were:

• The National House-Building Council (NHBC), for their promotion of energy labelling in New Homes;
• Cambridge City Council, for being the first Local Authority to rate all their housing stock at NHER Level 0;
• Optima Energy, for work including training several hundred NHER Assessors; and
• Graham Ward for his innovative use of energy rating.

Dr Archer echoed Professor Chapman's delight in the continuing strength of the NHER. She noted that it draws its strength from its members, which include many dedicated individuals working for councils, architects, house builders, housing associations and independent consultancies.

Please follow this link for more information on the Energy Rating in the UK.

For more information about the National Energy Foundation, please call Ian Byrne on 01908 665555.

1 November 2000

The National Energy Foundation: Registered in England - Charity No. 298951