EPC - Actual bills nearly 10x certificate

feistyangel

Hi,

My first post in this forum!!

Hope someone can help!!

I moved in to a 2 bed flat in May 2010. It's brand new, 750 sq ft with energy efficient windows.

The EPC certificate gave a guide to energy consumption, including an estimation of under £200 per year for heating (The apartment is on a CHP system).

Over the Winter, my bills have been £200 / £300 per MONTH!!

At the moment my landlord is refusing to do anything. I'm on an assured shorthold tenancy. Dispute has been going on nearly a year.

What are my rights? Where can I find out more information about my rights? Are there any resources out there apart from expensive solicitors?

Many Thanks in advance,

F.A.

rogerblack

feistyangel wrote: »

I moved in to a 2 bed flat in May 2010. It's brand new, 750 sq ft with energy efficient windows.

What form of heating are you using, and how much are you being charged for it per kWh?

As to energy efficient windows - this can be misleading.
Windows all leak a fair amount of heat - for example, yes double glazed windows do have (at best) 30% of the loss of single-glazed, but unless this is a window the sun can shine in, it's going to be losing a lot of heat, and will be losing a lot of heat at night in any case.
A double glazed window loses around 8 times the heat that a similar area of to-current-spec wall does.
(neglecting leaks)

On the actual topic.
Do you have the EPC?
You can look it up to see if it's actually a valid EPC.
Also - when was it issued.
It could have been a long time ago, when energy costs were lower.

http://www.lettingagentnews.co.uk/police-probe-fake-buy-to-let-epc-scam-1832

Pincher

CHP = Combined Heat and Power, generating 1kW electricity when on. Or do you mean Central Heating P?????

CHP should attract a FIT payment, at ~12p per kWh, plus export.
Who is getting it? With FIT rebate, £200 heating cost is possible, otherwise highly unlikely.

EPC is valid for ten years.

Imperial and Metric mix up?

rogerblack

Pincher wrote: »

EPC is valid for ten years.

EPC is valid for ten years, but the price on the EPC may have been at gas prices ten years ago!

Pincher

rogerblack wrote: »

EPC is valid for ten years, but the price on the EPC may have been at gas prices ten years ago!

I was supporting your point, even though the flat was "new" in May 2010.

If the CHP running cost is really that bad, thank god I didn't bother.

HappyMJ

feistyangel wrote: »

Hi,

My first post in this forum!!

Hope someone can help!!

I moved in to a 2 bed flat in May 2010. It's brand new, 750 sq ft with energy efficient windows.

The EPC certificate gave a guide to energy consumption, including an estimation of under £200 per year for heating (The apartment is on a CHP system).

Over the Winter, my bills have been £200 / £300 per MONTH!!

At the moment my landlord is refusing to do anything. I'm on an assured shorthold tenancy. Dispute has been going on nearly a year.

What are my rights? Where can I find out more information about my rights? Are there any resources out there apart from expensive solicitors?

Many Thanks in advance,

F.A.

Hand in your notice and move. You are lucky that you can do that and don't own the place. There isn't much that can be done.

mattcanary

Was your account opened on an actual reading when you moved in, or has your bill been based upon an (incorrect and too low) estimated opening reading?

feistyangel

Hi,

Thanks for your responses!

The CHP = Combined heat & power.

I have given my notice & I'm moving out, but now have a large bill that is in dispute.

I will investigate what someone above mentioned about rebate thing.

There are lots of floor to ceiling windows that are double glazed, so that probably does not help!

feistyangel

mattcanary wrote: »

Was your account opened on an actual reading when you moved in, or has your bill been based upon an (incorrect and too low) estimated opening reading?

The reading was correct, it's a digital meter, so updates the meter reading via phoneline every day, so bill is always accurate and never a quote.

rogerblack

feistyangel wrote: »

There are lots of floor to ceiling windows that are double glazed, so that probably does not help!

It sounds plausible that the EPC was very flawed.
This is probably not a basis for disputing your use of energy, as you actually did.
I'd first investigate if the EPC is in fact an official EPC.
If the EPC was invalid, does that mean anything about the legality of any rental agreement, or agreements to pay for the energy?

If it is, what professional standards body the assessor was a member of, are there any professional standards he must comply with that were breached, and do they carry any insurance for gross errors.