Paper round: Green audit could cut bills by £230

Review of home energy use 'could save customers £230 a year'

A home energy audit could save the average household about £230 a year on bills and cut greenhouse gas emissions, a study by the Institute for Public Policy Research reported in yesterday's Daily Telegraph. The report said energy companies should provide a free audit by 2012 for the country’s 24 million households, paid for through customer’s bills.

NHS may pay firms for failed PFI bids

The Sunday Telegraph followed up Building’s story of 27 April on a Bristol PFI hospital reimbursing failed bidders with up to 2% of the total contract costs. The scheme, condemned by unions, would see private bidders receive about £6m from the NHS for being a ‘runner up’ in the competition to build the £374m hospital.

Home Information Pack crisis could kill housing market

The Sunday Telegraph reported this weekend that fewer than 2000 people have been trained as domestic energy inspectors for Home Information Packs, due to be introduced in June. This is compared to Labour’s initial target of 7400, the paper said. The figures, which the ST obtained from the Department for Communities and Local Government, also showed that not a single assessor has been officially “accredited”.

All work, no play at Blair flagship school

The Sunday Times reported that Foster-designed £46.4m Thomas Deacon city academy in Peterborough is to be built without a playground because those running it believe that pupils should be treated like company employees and do not need unstructured play times.

Funding concerns keep Crossrail project stalled in the sidings

The paper also reported that fresh doubts have been cast over the construction of Crossrail after the Department for Transport told a Select Committee that funding for the £16bn scheme “remains a challenge.” A decision on how much the government will contribute is expected in the autumn with the publication of the Comprehensive Spending Review.