Beama has published a guidance document challenging all Green Deal providers to specify continuous ventilation with insulation packages. ‘Avoiding indoor air quality problems associated with fabric improvements’ clearly lays-out the health risks associated with poorly ventilated buildings and is available free to download at www.beama.org.uk.
Speaking after a keynote speech delivered in Brussels by a pan-European Allergy patients group, Beama’s marketing director Kelly Butler said: “We have today heard from the European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases Patients’ Association that poor Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) is responsible for 2m healthy life years lost annually across 26 EU member states.
“It is little wonder the European Commission is planning a review of all IAQ legislation this autumn. Continuous ventilation is a simple solution to air quality and we have met a number of Green Deal providers to make them clear that by not addressing ventilation adequately when renovating homes they are putting the building and the occupants at risk.
“Obviously, we see reputational risk here for providers of measures and given that a simple continuous fan consumes less than £5 of energy per annum, this is a small price to pay for healthy living. We are delighted that DECC has highlighted the importance of ventilation in their own guidance for Green Deal and our document further outlines the risks and solutions available”.