Energy Performance Certificates

Gingernutmeg

subjecttocontract wrote: »

There are always exceptions to any rule.....you appear to be the exception.

I've been renting various properties for 9 years and had more than a hundred tenants.....never once has anyone asked about energy performance/ consumption, cost of heating or insulation values.

I always ask about those kinds of things, I never realised that it was an odd thing to do . Rent and bills are my priority, so it makes sense to me to ask what those are likely to be. I rented a place which had very old, single glazed windows, was on a windy corner in a block of flats and had zero insulation and it was a pain to heat (even the LA admitted that a lot of previous tenants had complained about that) so now I always have a look at the boiler, windows and ask about bills/heating costs etc. It's one reason why, when I leave a property, I'm quite willing to let potential tenants look round while I'm in, as I treat others as I want to be treated and if they want to ask me about council tax/water rates/heating bills then I'm happy to tell them what I've been paying.

speedtwin

prices are about £70 upwards depends on the size.

subjecttocontract

Gingernutmeg,

Rent and bills are my priority, so it makes sense to me to ask what those are likely to be.

As a landlord I can always tell you how much the rent will be but I will have no idea of the heating bill as I don't live in any of my rental properties.

I can tell you if its gas or electric, who the utility supplier is and the phone number of the previous tenant.......but I won't have a clue as to the cost of the heating bill.

The EPC won't help either of us on that score either.

subjecttocontract

speedtwin wrote: »

prices are about £70 upwards depends on the size.

Tax deductable of course......brings the cost down to about £42

Gingernutmeg

What I meant by that is, it's obvious to me that an old boiler, single glazed windows, no insulation means higher heating bills than a new boiler, double glazed windows etc. I've lived in a number of properties and by using my experience and looking online I can work out what a reasonable average for utilities bills is. An EPC will help me work out (within certain limitations, of course) whether a property is likely to fall into the parameters of that average or not, and will help me decide whether I can reasonably afford to live in that property or not. It would not be in my interests as a tenant to move into a property that I couldn't afford to live in, and working out how much bills are likely to be is an important part of my budgeting, and is significant in me choosing where to live.

Equally, I can't take a ladder with me to viewings and ask to check the attic, and I know how much decent insulation will save me on my heating bills (and give me a better quality of life, cold, unheatable houses are NOT fun) so I'd appreciate knowing whether it's there or not. I'd love to be able to rent directly from a good landlord who knows their property inside out and cares about it, but the reality for me has been lettings agents who generally don't have a clue about the nitty gritty of a property. If there's a document available which will tell me these things (ie, the EPC) then as I tenant it's something I'd appreciate. Of course, if I find a great house without insulation etc, then I might still go for it if it's perfect, but in my experience, most rental properties aren't that perfect and it's always a case of compromising

silvercar

Do these reports judge things like terraced house will be better insulated, even without cavity wall insulation, than a detached? doubt it.

I've decided that you can never tell how high utility bills will be until you live ina property. Our last house had CWI and a modern boiler yet it was really difficult to heat. Our current home has solid walls, so no opportunity to insulate, and two boilers, one really old and a small modern one. On paper it would score really low, yet it is actually really warm and the bills are relatively low.

speedtwin

A EPC lasts 10 years for a rented property but i have heard it only lasts 3 years in a hip so if you are expecting a discount when you come to sell cos you already have the EPC part you might be disapointed.

can anyone confirm this

chriserenity

scrummy_mummy wrote: »

I've just received this quarter's NLA Landlord's newsletter....I know it's winter and I am blaming it on my hibernation, but what the heck is this new flippin instruction that all Landlords have to have their rental properties assessed for their energy efficiency properties from October 2008????

Anyone know more details? I've checked the members area on the NLA website and can't (easily) see any more about if it is a new legal requirement or how we are supposed to get one done, or how much it will cost?

Yes, its a new legal requirement. From 1st October 2008 all new tenancies starting with a new tenant will trigger the legal requirement for an Energy Performance Certificate. Once issued the document will not legally need to be renewed for 10 years and must be shown to each new tenant over the lifetime of the document.

The EPC can be used to directly compare the energy efficiency and carbon footprint of any residential property with any other. An example EPC can be found here:
http://www.hipview.co.uk/files/9645/be574b45b968585ec9521b85c55576bf.pdf

You get one by instructing either a Domestic Energy Assessor (I'm a DEA) or a Home Inspector. Both types of inspector are licenced to provide EPCs assuming they are accredited. In terms of cost the EPC will likely depend on the type of property e.g. larger properties command higher prices but bulk discounts will be available. Individual properties might be charged between £80 and £120

chriserenity

subjecttocontract wrote: »

I have a number of rental properties which are leasehold and in a block with other flats.

1. I don't own the roof so can't insulate it.
2. I don't own the building so can't insulate the cavities.
3. I'm not allowed to install gas appliances so can't improve with a condensing boiler.
4. I'm reliant on my freeholder/ service charge company to insulate everything except the windows......and they are already double glazed.
5. Tenants are more interested in location, size and monthly rent than energy performance.

Whats the point of an EPC for me

Hi,

The point of the EPC for you is that prospective tenants can view your EPC alongside your rival properties and decide whether to rent the place partly on the informaton contained in the EPC.

The EPC has been introduced to provide information about energy efficiency so even if you get no work done it satisfies that purpose by making your properties transparent to tenants.

Many of the improvements recommended in the EPC attract grant funding so it would be free or discounted in many cases for the tenant to apply for the grants then the grant giver sets up the grant with the freeholder or leaseholder depending on the situation (for further details on doing this contact the relevant grant giver).

chriserenity

Gingernutmeg wrote: »

As a tenant who lives in a freezing house that's impossible to heat, and as someone who's facing huge increases in my energy bills, believe me, I am interested in finding out whether the property I rent is energy efficient. It would be a deciding factor in whether I choose to rent a property or not.

The landlord has let you see the EPC by law so if you're a new tenant in a new tenancy after October legally speaking the EPC must be available to you before you as a prospective tenant.

An easy way to think about EPCs is (click on the example EPC i posted a few posts ago) by looking at the coloured graphs you can work out how much its going to cost you to live there. Bear in mind properties built now are around band B (not A). This is because a score of 100 means the property is self sufficient i.e. it costs nothing to heat and light. Most properties we've surveyed so far (we currently do EPCs as part of Home Information Packs) have come out at band E or D.