Inacurate EPC

eldyk307lela

I would much appreciate some advise regarding the following:I purchased a flat in 2017 -I was planning to move out ( rent it ) but the EPC certificate is wrong-the flat is at the second floor and the EPC  certificate that has been issued as per the data provided by  the construction company, has it as a  top floor flat-Paradoxically the top floor flat same size and specs has a better grade EPC C ( mine D).They want to provide me with a RaDS EPC which is not accurate and might even give a worse EPC grade.
Thy try to blame me as to why I did not check the EPC myself but my understanding is that the construction company and the lawyer I used for the purchase should have checked this.
I am really stuck and I am not sure as to how to proceed -I have put a complaint via construction ombudsman but the construction company has never came back to them hence they offered a free RaDS EPC.
Any guidance would be much appreciated.

dunstonh

Thy try to blame me as to why I did not check the EPC myself but my understanding is that the construction company and the lawyer I used for the purchase should have checked this.

Lawyers are rarely involved in property purchases/sales.  Most people use conveyancers.   Conveyancers wouldn't necessarily check which floor or the data, as it does not impact the legal.   Construction companies wouldn't care.   The buyer is the one that would take interest as its information for them should they wish to let it out or are looking for a grant.

I am really stuck and I am not sure as to how to proceed -I have put a complaint via construction ombudsman but the construction company has never came back to them hence they offered a free RaDS EPC.
Any guidance would be much appreciated.

Getting a new one seems to be the most logical thing to do.

Mr.Generous

Have your own EPC done, but be present and discuss with the inspector and show any supporting documents youi have.

singhini

If you know the flat above you has a "C" rating, perhaps think about contacting the person who did that EPC and get them to do a new one for you (just a thought) 

HillStreetBlues

It only has 2 years to run cost for flat approx £60 about £6 a year so the issue is for about £12 or am I missing something?

MWT

HillStreetBlues said:

It only has 2 years to run cost for flat approx £60 about £6 a year so the issue is for about £12 or am I missing something?

I imagine the concern is that when the original EPC was done they used the builders spec for all the things that cannot be seen. A new one will be based on typical construction methods for the time period and may suffer as a result.

The accuracy of the EPC is not really a a strong point...

Bilivino

On the EPC it will say:

"If you’re unhappy about your property’s energy assessment or certificate, you can complain to the assessor who created it." - followed by their contact details.

Just afer that it will say:

"If you’re still unhappy after contacting the assessor, you should contact the assessor’s accreditation scheme." - followed by the details of the accreditation scheme that the assessor is a member of.

Not sure whether there's mileage, particularly with the EPC being 8 years old now, but you could try those two steps and see what happens.

For me though, life's too short and if I was particularly bothered, I'd just get my own energy assessor in and get a fresh RDSAP EPC assessment carried out. The assessor doesn't have to actually lodge it on the national register (either at all, or straight away) if you are still persuing something via another route and don't want it on the national register.

Sounds like the EPC you currently have is a SAP EPC which would be the case for new builds or conversions.

If it was a new build in 2017 then an RDSAP EPC rating will still be pretty decent due to the modern building regs in force back in 2017.

If it was a conversion in 2017 from a different type of property well that might depend on the building's previous use, and could be different due to how the RDSAP methodoogy works.

With your interest in renting out the property however, be aware that various changes are on their way around EPCs in the near future. There have been two very recent government consulations, one over the format of new EPCs in the future, and various proposed changes around their use, and one related to MEES which is the minimum EPC rating level that a privately rented property needs to have in order for it to be legally rented out. This will affect you if you do decide to rent out your property going forwards. The proposed increase in MEES from band E to 'C equivalent' band is proposed to come in in 2028 for new tenancies and 2030 for existing tenancies, and the single current rating metric will be split on future EPCs into several categories, so you will probably need a new EPC one way or another going forwards. Additionaly it is proposed that SAP/RDSAP will be replaced by the Home Energy model in 2026 (good luck with that ever happening on time!), so do take a look online about those things.

All the best.