New tool to help housing associations calculate 'lifetime costs' of building projects » Housing » 24dash.com

BLP, the technical buildings and insurance specialist, has announced plans to roll out its Life Cycle Costing Tool for housing associations.

Developed in conjunction with the Housing Corporation and provided free to eligible Housing Corporation Investment Partners, it is available online now. It has been designed to simplify and streamline applications for Housing Corporation funding.

The BLP Life Cycle Costing Tool is a fast, accurate and automated software programme that replaces complex time consuming, manual and spreadsheet-based processes.

It helps social housing development officers and accountants calculate the true lifetime cost of a housing project – from a bolt to a building – by working out each component’s life expectancy as well as its lifetime maintenance and replacement costs.

Tom Lloyd-Smith, Senior Design and Quality Officer, of The Housing Corporation, said: “BLP’s new tool helps make accurate Life Cycle Costing assessments easy.

"We believe there are real benefits to be had from its use in terms of cost savings and improving the sustainability of schemes.

“It’s in all our interests that this complex process should be made as efficient and as effective as possible.”

Simon Main, BLP Managing Director, said: “This genuinely innovative tool is a breakthrough in the sector as it saves time and money and is easy to use.

“This tool allows Housing Associations to assess the impact on a development’s life cycle cost when selecting one component over another; improving their investment decision-making and control over the quality, sustainability and ecological soundness of the materials they choose.

“And the Life Cycle Costing Tool helps the Housing Corporation ensure its investments are going to best value and most sustainable schemes.

“It chose BLP to develop this new tool because of our technical expertise in component durability testing gained in the insurance and housing market places.

To learn more about the Life Cycle Costing Tool go to: http://www.blpinsurance.com/LCC