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Will the Council Pay for an Energy Performance Certificate?
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Hi
Re: Warm Home Discount, I did as I was told, and waited for my letter that was supposed to arrive mid January. It never came. So I phoned up today and they say I need an Energy Performance Certificate, and that I need to pay for it, although she never said how much it will cost.
I live in a council property and I'm on a very low income.
1.How much are these certificates please?
2. Will the council pay?
3. And which is the best department in the Council to contact about this please?
I only have til the end of Feb to apply for the Warm Home Discount, so I need to sort it out asap.
Thank you
Re: Warm Home Discount, I did as I was told, and waited for my letter that was supposed to arrive mid January. It never came. So I phoned up today and they say I need an Energy Performance Certificate, and that I need to pay for it, although she never said how much it will cost.
I live in a council property and I'm on a very low income.
1.How much are these certificates please?
2. Will the council pay?
3. And which is the best department in the Council to contact about this please?
I only have til the end of Feb to apply for the Warm Home Discount, so I need to sort it out asap.
Thank you
Look at it this way... In a hundred years who's gonna care?
0
Comments
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Going to copy and paste a comment I made on another thread - the way the "help"line is handling it is just causing more confusion, it's ridiculous.
There is a reason they refer to an EPC, but it is NOT a condition of entitlement to the discount.
The new rules are that you have to be claiming a qualifying benefit AND live in a property deemed to intrinsically have high energy costs - they work this out based on age, type and size of your home.
If one of those pieces of information is missing in the data they use to identify eligible properties, currently the only way for a person to add in that missing information is by referring to an EPC. This is turning out to be a problem for multiple people who don't have one.
May I ask what qualifying benefit you claim? Also what type of property do you live in, and do you know its age and floor area?
With that information we can work out whether you should have qualified or not.
If it appears you really should have qualified, it would be worth contacting your MP because multiple people are falling through the cracks - the system is supposed to work out any missing data but people are missing out, something has gone wrong, and many people don't have an EPC to be able to get the right calculation. And if nothing changes, people in those same properties will keep missing out next year and every year after that.
Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/warm-home-discount-eligibility-statement-england-and-wales
^ Sorry that doesn't actually answer any of your questions but it is all relevant - if it turns out you wouldn't qualify anyway then getting an EPC (even for next year) would be pointless.2 -
Spoonie_Turtle said:Going to copy and paste a comment I made on another thread - the way the "help"line is handling it is just causing more confusion, it's ridiculous.
There is a reason they refer to an EPC, but it is NOT a condition of entitlement to the discount.
The new rules are that you have to be claiming a qualifying benefit AND live in a property deemed to intrinsically have high energy costs - they work this out based on age, type and size of your home.
If one of those pieces of information is missing in the data they use to identify eligible properties, currently the only way for a person to add in that missing information is by referring to an EPC. This is turning out to be a problem for multiple people who don't have one.
May I ask what qualifying benefit you claim? Also what type of property do you live in, and do you know its age and floor area?
With that information we can work out whether you should have qualified or not.
If it appears you really should have qualified, it would be worth contacting your MP because multiple people are falling through the cracks - the system is supposed to work out any missing data but people are missing out, something has gone wrong, and many people don't have an EPC to be able to get the right calculation. And if nothing changes, people in those same properties will keep missing out next year and every year after that.
Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/warm-home-discount-eligibility-statement-england-and-wales
^ Sorry that doesn't actually answer any of your questions but it is all relevant - if it turns out you wouldn't qualify anyway then getting an EPC (even for next year) would be pointless.
"May I ask what qualifying benefit you claim? Also what type of property do you live in, and do you know its age and floor area? "
Hi Spoonie_Turtle yes:
Income ESA and Housing Benefit
Top floor flat, 1 bed flat, not touching any other flats (a detached flat! ...only has flats beneath, and poor insulation in the roof)
Built 1955 - 1960
41 sq metres (amended from the incorrect "401 sq. metres"!)
I love how the Helpline says "If you live in England and Wales"...
It would be nice to have a home in BOTH England and Wales but I doubt I would qualify for WHD!
Look at it this way... In a hundred years who's gonna care?0 -
RealGem said:
401 sq metres
an average terraced house is about 70m2 (about 800 square foot). 400 sq meters is huge.Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you. Anne Lamott
It's amazing how those with a can-do attitude and willingness to 'pitch in and work' get all the luck, isn't it?
Please consider buying some pet food and giving it to your local food bank collection or animal charity. Animals aren't to blame for the cost of living crisis.1 -
Under the assumption that it is 400Sq feet your property will no longer qualify for WHD.
The combination of flat, small and relatively new rates your flat as low energy need for the purpose of WHD.
They are just using the criteria size age and property type and it is of no interest if the flat is "detached" (not a official property type) or if it has no insulation at all. The decision is purely made from lists detailing what property qualifies or does not qualify.
Here are details for flats build 1955 to 1960:
As you can see for you to qualify for WHD your flat would need to have size of more than 90m23 -
ariarnia said:RealGem said:
401 sq metres
an average terraced house is about 70m2 (about 800 square foot). 400 sq meters is huge.
Look at it this way... In a hundred years who's gonna care?1 -
pochase said:Under the assumption that it is 400Sq feet your property will no longer qualify for WHD.
The combination of flat, small and relatively new rates your flat as low energy need for the purpose of WHD.
They are just using the criteria size age and property type and it is of no interest if the flat is "detached" (not a official property type) or if it has no insulation at all. The decision is purely made from lists detailing what property qualifies or does not qualify.
Here are details for flats build 1955 to 1960:
As you can see for you to qualify for WHD your flat would need to have size of more than 90m2
I have chronic pain and need my heating on more than average. And my flat is full of damp too. So I have to have a dehumidifier on a lot, which drives electricity costs up.
Pity they have changed the way they do it this year, as I always qualified for WHD the last few years. And it was very much appreciated.
Thanks for your help everyone.Look at it this way... In a hundred years who's gonna care?2 -
Unless your tenancy commenced prior to 1/10/2008, you should have been provided with an EPC when you occupied the property.No free lunch, and no free laptop1
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RealGem said:pochase said:Under the assumption that it is 400Sq feet your property will no longer qualify for WHD.
The combination of flat, small and relatively new rates your flat as low energy need for the purpose of WHD.
They are just using the criteria size age and property type and it is of no interest if the flat is "detached" (not a official property type) or if it has no insulation at all. The decision is purely made from lists detailing what property qualifies or does not qualify.
Here are details for flats build 1955 to 1960:
As you can see for you to qualify for WHD your flat would need to have size of more than 90m2
I have chronic pain and need my heating on more than average. And my flat is full of damp too. So I have to have a dehumidifier on a lot, which drives electricity costs up.
Pity they have changed the way they do it this year, as I always qualified for WHD the last few years. And it was very much appreciated.
Thanks for your help everyone.2 -
macman said:Unless your tenancy commenced prior to 1/10/2008, you should have been provided with an EPC when you occupied the property.
also where do people find the age of the house info? we arent eligible but i'm curious. its not on our epc and i dont want to dig out our deeds if i can avoid it.
the op can check if theres an epc (current or expired) here: https://www.gov.uk/find-energy-certificateAlmost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you. Anne Lamott
It's amazing how those with a can-do attitude and willingness to 'pitch in and work' get all the luck, isn't it?
Please consider buying some pet food and giving it to your local food bank collection or animal charity. Animals aren't to blame for the cost of living crisis.0 -
ariarnia said:macman said:Unless your tenancy commenced prior to 1/10/2008, you should have been provided with an EPC when you occupied the property.
also where do people find the age of the house info? we arent eligible but i'm curious. its not on our epc and i dont want to dig out our deeds if i can avoid it.
the op can check if theres an epc (current or expired) here: https://www.gov.uk/find-energy-certificate
For refuting the WHD decision an expired EPC really shouldn't matter, but in this case it wouldn't help the OP anyway.2
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