Scary EPC certificate

sensiblesaver55

My husband and I have found a property that we are interested in.

I've just found the EPC certificate online and it shows that the property is at category E efficiency and the estimated heating costs are over double what we currently pay. The certificate was done mid 2009 (I don't know if this means the situation is now worse ie even higher costs to heat?)

The main issue it seems is that the walls are solid brick with no insulation (assumed).

I'm just interested to know if this would put other people off? I understand you can add internal and external insulation to solid brick (incidentally the internal insulation comes up as cost effective on the EPC but not external), but a lot of the house doesn't need decorating and I don't really want to be messing around with this- was hoping to just move in!

BertieUK

sensiblesaver55 wrote: »

My husband and I have found a property that we are interested in.

I've just found the EPC certificate online and it shows that the property is at category E efficiency and the estimated heating costs are over double what we currently pay. The certificate was done mid 2009 (I don't know if this means the situation is now worse ie even higher costs to heat?)

The main issue it seems is that the walls are solid brick with no insulation (assumed).

I'm just interested to know if this would put other people off? I understand you can add internal and external insulation to solid brick (incidentally the internal insulation comes up as cost effective on the EPC but not external), but a lot of the house doesn't need decorating and I don't really want to be messing around with this- was hoping to just move in!

The EPC that you comment on is now, to the best of my knowledge, out of date as they are only current for 3 years.

So the property may have been upgraded by the owner taking advantage of the Governments Scheme to insulate your loft etc.

Worth looking into for above reasons.;)

DannyboyMidlands

The EPC alone wouldn't put me off, I'd use my own judgement but I wouldn't want to buy a house that was cold, draughty and expensive to heat. Energy bills are only gonna keep increasing.

Every time I see a cute grade 2 listed whatever I just imagine how uncomfortable it'd be to live there.

Internal insulation would involve dry lining the whole house wouldn't it?

martinsurrey

BertieUK wrote: »

The EPC that you comment on is now, to the best of my knowledge, out of date as they are only current for 3 years.

So the property may have been upgraded by the owner taking advantage of the Governments Scheme to insulate your loft etc.

Worth looking into for above reasons.;)

epc's are valid for 10 years now, it was 3 years in the days of HIPS but not any more

https://www.gov.uk/buy-sell-your-home/energy-performance-certificates

A Victorian Semi can be internally insulated well with something like Celotex PL4065, which is enough to get it up to current building regs for existing dwellings.

You lose about 10cm depth from the wall, but go from a U val of 2.1 (double solid brick) to 0.3.

Its not for the feint heated though as sockets radiators and other things need to be moved and preparing the wall can be a very messy business (best to get back to brick).

I wouldn’t do it in a house I was living in, but if I could, I would buy a house and do it before I moved in.

Cost wise, an advanced DIYer could do it (you do need building regs sign off though) for 1.5 – 2k for a 3 bed, getting someone in, £4-5k

MX5huggy

An EPC is valid for 10 years, unless a new one has been done in the mean time.

They were valid for 3 when included in HIP.

"E" is not that bad, what rating does your current house have?

Compare that with you actual usage to see if you use more or less than predicted by the EPC. If you google EPC register you can get any EPC using a post code.

Try to use the kWh figures as they are un effected by energy prices then use your current energy prices to compare.

BertieUK

MX5huggy wrote: »

An EPC is valid for 10 years, unless a new one has been done in the mean time.

They were valid for 3 when included in HIP.

"E" is not that bad, what rating does your current house have?

Compare that with you actual usage to see if you use more or less than predicted by the EPC. If you google EPC register you can get any EPC using a post code.

Try to use the kWh figures as they are un effected by energy prices then use your current energy prices to compare.

I was just going on the last property that we sold in 2009 - that was the time we had to get the HIP along with an EPC and I assumed that would have been the same time as the property that the OP was making reference to and would now be out of date.:)

Thanks also to MartinSurrey

G_M

EPC are pretty useless really. See that word 'assumed'? They don't even know! Much of it is guesswork.

I live in an 1851 house with solid stone walls, and sloping roof upstairs which means only the flat part is fully insulated in the attic. Yes, it's not as cosy as, say, my mum's modern house, but it's all about what you want?

If you want a house that fully complies with 2012 Building standards in terms of insulation, electrics, height of the stair handrails (for elf'n sefty) etc etc - then buy yourself a brand new modern box.

If you want some character, or bigger rooms, or a working chimney, or, or, or, then buy something older and accept that it will have shallower foundations (but still standing after 150 years!) and other 'non-compliant' elements.

sensiblesaver55

Currently renting and have been here for 7 years so no EPC certificate; but a quick postcode search tells me that next door is at a rating of C. The estimated cost is roughly what we pay for utilities. Where we are now is a mid-terraced and the house we are interested in is a semi-detached.

When we visited the house was warm......but then it is winter so the central heating was on.

I suppose I could ask the estate agent what the vendors utility bills are like?

G_M

sensiblesaver55 wrote: »

When we visited the house was warm......but then it is winter so the central heating was on.

Surely winter is the most testing time? If it's warm in winter, what's the problem?

If you are obsessed by utility bills, ask the seller for copies next time you view.....

new_owner

When I bought my 1890 house its epc was E.

My bills are £35pm Gas and £30-35pm elec.... over winter

I have prob spent £400 on insulation (under floor and loft)

I also added a woodburner and use £180 of seasoned wood this winter. But the downstairs is a T-shirt 23 deg. and upstairs around 18.

Its single glased (going to stay that way) I am having them draftproofed.

When I first moved in it was cold and drafty and the gas bill was over £500 from Nov-Mar + £250 on wood (open fire)

A small amount of easy work will make all the difference.

EDIT:

I should also say (just looked at my epc)

The recommendations to get to C include;

Double glassing (why would I want to get rid of my sash windows)

Windows account for around 10% loss so if my gas bill is £400 per year this will give me a saving of £40 per year.... Double glassing would then take 100 years (not accounting for gas rises) to break even.

New boiler - (moden condensing boiler)

OK this one is strange;

my 25 year old boiler is running fine. if I put a new boiler that saved me £200 (guess on saving and install cost) per year on gas it would take around 10 years to break even. How is getting rid of working boiler eco friendly or a good finical decision

External Wall insulation; Really... At how much per square meter. + I love the original render on the house. The pay back on this would be years and years.

So as G_M has stated the epc is pretty useless..

It also includes (solar panels as recommendation)

royw

It wouldn't worry me. I live in a part of thr country where most houses are stone so obviously have solid walls. To me it's normal!