Simple living in the country - back to basics

EssexHebridean

I reckon you're pretty safe to assume that the bits of the house that actually have cavities probably don't have cavity wall insulation - it's something that people seem fairly keen to mention these days as it does improve the EPC. have you checked the planning records for your house - I think Cavity wall is something that should be on there, I know ours is. 

It might be worth asking directly on the energy board about the heat pump question - but I believe (mainly from stuff I've ready on there!) that the current recommendation is that heat pumps aren't suitable for "leaky" houses - with leaky meaning poorly insulated, rather than water running down the walls! 

I'd also take with a pinch of salt - or possibly an entire BUCKET of it - the assumed energy use for the property - if our EPC on the flat had been taken seriously it would have suggested we were using nearly 20k kWh of electricity per year! In fact, we refused to pay for the EPC until that was corrected - and as the shyster who did it never DID correct it, we never did pay - small wins...! 

badmemory

Those EPC from my perspective anyway are a con.  We had to pay for one on my mothers house before we could sell it.  It said it had solid floors.  It didn't, you only had to stamp your foot & you could tell.  But they refused to correct it.  Of course we had also had to pay up front.  total rip off.

Cheery_Daff

themadvix said:

Interesting pondering Cheery (and always feel free to waffle on my diary too 😁). I didn't know the EPCs were available online until Mr MV was looking at ours the other day! (We're a C (71) on the EPC but that was prior to solar, which would make us an 80 - 1 point off a B. And we'd query some of the assumptions made on ours too, and want to squeak into a B (definitely first-world problems compared to your G rating - brrr!).)

If there's cavity wall insulation there may be signs - small(ish) round holes drilled into the wall from the outside (which may have been filled). And you *should* have a cavity wall insulation certificate from the seller - I know getting hold of this was a hold-up in our purchase process.

Your loft may be insulated, but you might want more - I think it makes a big difference. Ours is well insulated, but not to current standards. Could you borrow a thermal imaging camera from somewhere? Work or is there a Transition Town organisation near you? Our nearest one had a TI camera that homeowners could borrow to check where the leaks were.

I hate to say it, but from what you've said, not hitting the estimated kWh on energy is probably more to do with the fact that you live in a cold house (the same is true for us, according to the EPC) than because the insulation is good - indoor temperatures are recommended to be between 18 and 21 degrees, not the 15/16 you sometimes mention it is! This might be something to consider though with Mr C's health?

Thanks all 😊

Going to come back to my extremely long week shortly! But wanted to respond to this about the EPC.

I shall inspect for cavity wall holes when I get home. No certificate, this was a probate sale and a lot of things were missing (although I think they'd only lived here about 20 years - but they did do quite a few things in that time). Will investigate planning, but it didn't come up when we moved so probably not.

We should definitely sort out more insulation, especially in the smallest loft, which is in the off shot extension bit, which is extremely draughty, and one of the reasons my study (which is next to it) is so cold 🙄 That's just that weird crumbly insulation, and not really a proper ceiling. Lots to do there which will make a difference. 

Thanks for the reminder about the transition towns camera - our local one definitely does have one (they were looking for people to train to be energy efficiency assessors fairly recently - didn't mention loaning the camera, but they may come and assess. I may be out of their area, but I am a member! Bet they'd let me train as an assessor... 😋 Will investigate). I've always been impressed by how long snow stays on the roof for - there are certainly no significant patches that are losing loads of heat in that respect.

As for the temperature, you're probably right. We only ever set the thermostat to 16, Mr Cheery can't really stand it being warmer than that 🙄 and the thermostat up in the warmest bit of house, so it never gets that warm down the other end - partly crappy extension, partly being so far from the boiler and radiators not being properly balanced, partly solid uncovered floors in kitchen & dining (and well making everything damp). 

But yes, I suspect others would have the heating on more to consider it 'comfortable' (I know I probably would 😂). 

Cheery_Daff

I added up all the recommendations from the EPC 😂😂 Cavity wall insulation, solid wall insulation, solid floor insulation, low energy lightbulbs, solar water heating and solar power. 

Estimated cost? £17,610 - £35,110 at 2017 proces. Estimated saving of £1538 a year, meaning it would take between 11 and 23 years to recoup. And we'd still only be an E rating! 😂 And that's without sorting out the loft insulation which they don't even mention on the list of recommendations 😂

So I won't be working down those in order, and I suppose the question is about how much time/energy/money i have to do any of them... 🙄 Loft insulation is the easiest one - but current stuff has very much been inhabited by mice 🙄 so it would be better to pull out and replace altogether, which starts making it feel like a bigger job.

Anyway, not a decision for today. I've had FOUR work events in a row this week, been all over the place, eaten nothing but corporate buffets and cakes, and am worn out and fed up.

But currently in my favourite cafe with a nice coffee and a notebook so things are looking up 😊😊

themadvix

I bet they would love you to train as an assessor! Our nearest TT group disbanded earlier this year - not in a sad way, just a 'we've moved on' sort of way. There are now various different groups that grew out of it. However, it's in the town I used to get my shopping from, but not one I go to that regularly anymore. Mr MV talks about borrowing a camera from work, but hasn't ever got around to it.

Re loft insulation, we used stuff similar to this in my mum's loft - it's so much nicer to install than fibreglass and a really good use of recycled bottles, I think.

Mr Cheery is hardier than me! 

beanielou

Mr Cheery is way way hardier than me. 

I am so miserable when I am cold. 

rtandon27

Cheery - do you want to trade Mr Cheery for my OH? I prefer 17 with the human wearing the layers - OH likes it to be a tropical 20 to 21 and wears t-shirts.- Let's just say I swelter!

Cheery_Daff

😂 Mr Cheery is way hardier than me - in relation to temperature at least! 😂

redofromstart

It may be useful to know that if you have an account with the Skipton BS then you can get a 'free' EPC Plus. Not sure what the catch is.

(need £1 in savings to be a member)

Cheery_Daff

Thanks redo, that's worth knowing! I'm not a member, but will investigate 😊

Post just arrived. Both first direct bank cards, which is great - PINs should arrive in a couple of days so this will save us bothering with Revolut (must remember to put some money in the account though 😂). 

Also, a hospital appointment for Mr Cheery. Been waiting for this 5 months, and it was ordered again at the last hospital visit as more of a priority. Do you know when it is? Yep - the very morning we fly to Berlin - the exact time of the flight, in fact 🙄😂 Rang and rearranged for early December. Bit annoying but can't be helped, and at least it's in the diary now. 

Washing is on, bicarb liberally sprinkled in the car (at last) and I have been reluctantly parcelled off for a nap - it has been collectively decided that I am far too grumpy for anything else 👀😂