Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1495665
18 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 26 MARCH 2023 NEWS MATTHEW VELLA FUTURE homes in Malta are set for major climate-driven price increases after MEPs approved draft rules that will make the EU's Energy Performance Di- rective more onerous in a bid to make construction more ener- gy-efficient. Ahead of the vote this week, the Nationalist candidate for Europe, Peter Agius, warned that new rules for wall, floor and ceiling insulation as well as smart lighting and solar panels becoming the standard, could raise the price of a three-bed- room apartment by €36,000. All Maltese MEPs voted against the draft rules pro- posed by Irish Green MEP Ci- aran Cuffe, which narrowly se- cured a mandate, and will now be negotiated in the Council of Ministers. However, industry experts al- so believe the long-term vision of the Energy Performance Di- rective will benefit construc- tion in general in Malta. The Malta Chamber of Con- struction Management has been founded on improving the construction industry, and one of the pillars is quality. "The performance of build- ings affects the quality of life of inhabitants and contributes highly to the wellbeing of the occupants," said Fabrizio Gera- da from the newly set-up Mal- ta Chamber of Construction Management. "While quality tends to cost more than poor products, it also reduces the operational costs of a building, such as energy consumption, improves the speed of projects, meaning fewer inconveniences to neighbours, and also makes it easier for traders to install their M&E (mechanical and electrical) systems, which re- duces prices from that aspect." While property costs are ex- pected to grow due to stricter compliance on energy perfor- mance, the MCCM insists that in the long run, such additional costs will be recovered through lower energy bills. "How long it will take to recover those costs also depends on the short, me- dium and long-term plans of the property buyer... in Mal- ta's case, the target is to keep houses cool, so any energy uses should be kept to a minimum." Gerada added that decar- bonisation measures were be- ing welcomed in an age where even banks and lenders want to ensure properties of the fu- ture can be resold in the case of mortgage defaults. The draft rules would re- quire all new buildings to be zero-emission from 2028, with the deadline for new buildings occupied, operated or owned by public authorities in 2026. All new buildings should be equipped with solar technolo- gies by 2028, where technically suitable and economically fea- sible, while residential build- ings undergoing major renova- tion have until 2032. 'Enforced refurbishment' could be new headache for future homebuyers Chamber of construction managers says costlier but improved energy efficiency in homes means lower energy bills in the long run