If you’re looking to sell or rent out your home soon, then researchers at UCL’s Bartlett School of Graduate Studies could help you.

As part of an EPSRC funded project, a group of researchers are studying the levels of overheating in the capital this summer. They will be researching the urban heat island phenomenon, which is where a densely-populated area such as a city, is significantly warmer than the surrounding area. The UCL scientists are trying to examine the impact of climate change and the heat island effect on indoor thermal comfort.

This thermal image shows part of Atlanta, Georgia. Blue shows cool temperatures, red warm, and hot areas appear white. Daytime air temperatures were only about 26.7°C (80°F), but some surface temperatures reached 47.8°Celsius (118°F). Courtesy of Wikipedia

They will be devloping a computer model for London that predicts local temperatures and environmental conditions using data loggers (the size of credit cards) which measure temperature and humidity at regular intervals. The data loggers are battery powered and do not require any care during the monitoring period from June to September.

The team are currently looking for willing Londoners who are happy to allow these data loggers to be left in their properties. In return you will receive a free Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) which usually costs £60 and is required by law before selling or renting out your home.

The researchers will need to visit your property and carry out an energy survery, which takes around 30-40 minutes to complete. You will then receive a free EPC produced by an accredited energy assessor, along with a report suggesting how to make your home more energy efficient.

In September, the team will visit your home and collect the data loggers before asking you to complete a short questionnaire.

If anyone is interested in getting involved in the scheme, please contact Anna Mavrogianni on 0207 679 1973 at UCL by Wednesday 17 June.