Energy Performance Certificates

village_life

Hi - we are looking at buying a new house and I've been glancing at the EPC's in the particulars of various properties. We're moving to a bigger house (potentially much bigger) so running costs are a key thought for me at the moment.

does anyone know how/what is analysed to produce the EPC result? - furthermore, if we are keen on a property, are we able to ask to see the detail of the EPC and the recommendations made for improvements to energy efficiency, potentially to be used as a bargaining tool in the negotiation.

thanks

G_M

Ignore them. Waste of time.

A 'trained' assesor comes round, asks if
*there's double glazing
* energy saving light bulbs
* loft insulation
*cavity wall insulation
*etc

Sometimes they actually check!
There is no 'scientific' evaluation of the property's energy consumption. The boiler may be 'condensing' but far too big/small for the property, and/or in poor repair/inefficient. None of that will show up on the EPC

Rely on your own observations, ask to see utility bills, have a survey done (that will give more info on cavity wall Vs solid wall construction) and get specialist reports (eg a GasSafe engineer to look at boiler) if you think necessary.

EPC? Don't even waste your time looking at it.

And if a buyer used the EPC as a bargaining tool I'd tell them to get real!

Doozergirl

village_life wrote: »

Hi - we are looking at buying a new house and I've been glancing at the EPC's in the particulars of various properties. We're moving to a bigger house (potentially much bigger) so running costs are a key thought for me at the moment.

does anyone know how/what is analysed to produce the EPC result? - furthermore, if we are keen on a property, are we able to ask to see the detail of the EPC and the recommendations made for improvements to energy efficiency, potentially to be used as a bargaining tool in the negotiation.

thanks

Have mine in front of me. It's based on double glazing; the type of boiler that provides heating; ditto hot water; heating controls - thermostats with timers etc; insulation -in cavities or on solid wall, in loft, under suspended floors; and whether or not you have energy saving bulbs installed.

So yes, you can negotiate on these things, it's very general but has the sort of thing that a regular survey would highlight for you and much of it you can see with your own eyes. It would have to be based on the measures to be taken rather than the result itself.

The average house rates an E - 46 points. The house I am selling is 73 (C) with a potential of 76 because it isn't all energy saving light-bulbs. It's a Victorian house but it's been essentially rebuilt and so meets modern Building Regulations and in some ways exceeds it although we don't get extra points for the expensive windows that save even more energy etc. or adding more insulation required, the form they seem to use is very 'yes' and 'no'. The building control officer says that this house is now more energy efficient than any new house built over 5 years ago. And it's still a C. I think a new, new build might just fall into the bottom end of B (81). We can only get 81 by putting in solar panels - which I think is odd as that's only worth 5 points and changing the lightbulbs are worth 3?! Er, cost effective energy saving measures anyone?

F_T_Buyer

The new build I have (built 2009) is Mid - C (83) and the flats here are High-C (86).

Since I moved in I've put more loft insulation in (now 35-40cm) and reflective stuff behind radiators. Oh, and I've also insulated my garage too.. lol

evoke

EPCs are a money-making scam. Anyone with the bare minimum of common sense will be able to see if the property has double-glazing or not and that you can save 2p over 100 years if your replace proper bulbs with the tree-hugging ones.

EAs commonly use part the charges for an EPC to effectively pay their photographers.

It's a legal scam and we're stuck with it thanks to the lack of regulation in the very dark, filthy and murky world of property.

Doozergirl

evoke wrote: »

Thanks to the lack of regulation in the very dark, filthy and murky world of property.

You make it sound so exciting! :rotfl: