EPC's

[jocelyn plummer]

I have been looking at houses for sale on Right Move, and found one which says 'EPC not required'---how come? Lucky people, they obviously didn't have to shell out £75.00 for half an hour's work and leave dirty footprints on the carpets--grrrrrrrr

 

[Flyfisher]

Interesting. According to this, http://www.addleshawgoddard.com/view.asp?content_id=6374&parent_id=2237, it seems there were some changes to the legislation in Jan 2013. In particular:

Additional exemptions to the requirement to provide an EPC

Some new categories are added to the buildings which are exempt from EPC requirements. In particular, buildings and monuments officially protected as part of a designated environment or because of their special architectural or historic merit in so far as compliance with certain minimum energy efficiency requirements would unacceptably alter their character or appearance are now exempt. However, neither the Regulations nor the guidance provide definitions as to how a building would qualify. It is assumed that this includes listed buildings but, again, there is uncertainty.

(My emphasis)

 

[CliffordPope]

It's not a requirement to meet any particular standards surely, merely to certify which category of energy efficiency the house comes under?

Anyone genuinely looking for a period house of character would want as poor a standard as possible ?

 

[Zebra]

Oh! Energy Performance Certificate. I thought for a minute EPC was like a DPC but to prevent the ingress of.... I don't know.... elephants?

 

[Flyfisher]

I don't think Milady would approve of anything that prevented elephants :wink:

 

[malcolm]

A google search suggests it is the case that EPCs aren't required for listed buildings. It would often be possible to improve the EPC rating for a listed building without upsetting the Conservation Officer - by adding loft insulation for example, but it would not normally be possible to make them achieve latest building regs without messing them up.

I bet there is going to be a rule that houses can't be sold without achieving a minimum rating, and that listed buildings are being excluded from EPC rules because of the likely conflicts. It won't be legal to rent a F or G rated property from 2018.

 

[Penners]

I thought for a minute EPC was like a DPC but to prevent the ingress of.... I don't know.... elephants?

Dead right, Zebra! And I've always assumed that all British houses are fitted with an EPC, because I have never in my entire, lengthy life seen an elephant inside a British home.

So EPCs must be very effective.

 

[FamilyWiggs]

It's not a requirement to meet any particular standards surely, merely to certify which category of energy efficiency the house comes under?

Anyone genuinely looking for a period house of character would want as poor a standard as possible ?

Unless they want to get feed in tariff from wind/solar power. Just been looking into it, and new regs come in very shortly which will only pay a lower tariff (quite a bit lower I seem to remember) if your house doesn't meet band D EPC first.

 

[malcolm]

Isn't there a common saying "there's an elephant in the room"? The EPC can't always be completely effective.

 

[Owain]

Isn't there a common saying "there's an elephant in the room"? The EPC can't always be completely effective.

Isn't the elephant in the room the fact that the EPC is pretty much a white elephant anyway?

 

[malcolm]

EPC is reasonable if done properly (and not by muppets) and is a good sentiment. The UK has agreed to the Kyoto Protocol to reduce carbon consumption and emissions which does seem to be a sensible thing to do, especially if it can be done without really causing any hardship to anyone. Persuading people to insulate houses is a good target as properly insulated houses are cheaper and nicer to live in.

 

[Flyfisher]

It's not a requirement to meet any particular standards surely, merely to certify which category of energy efficiency the house comes under?

Anyone genuinely looking for a period house of character would want as poor a standard as possible ?

Unless they want to get feed in tariff from wind/solar power. Just been looking into it, and new regs come in very shortly which will only pay a lower tariff (quite a bit lower I seem to remember) if your house doesn't meet band D EPC first.

Hmm, is that really a good thing? I'd have thought that energy inefficient houses would be the very ones that should be encouraged to use more sustainable energy supplies. After all, who cares how much energy it takes to heat a house if that energy is coming from a sustainable source such as solar PV?

Incidentally, I went to the 'Greenbuild' show at Felbrigg Hall at the weekend and listened to someone talking about using subsidised solar PV systems (i.e. FIT receivable) to power heat pumps that themselves qualify for FIT payments, so it seems like the industry is certainly working creatively to wring as much funding out of the various schemes available.

 

[jocelyn plummer]

Good debate there Folks !! answers my query and confirms my initial thought that it probably is related to the listed status of the property which lies within the Blickling Estate, with the National Trust owning the lease. I'll post the link later--fantastic house but way out of our budget so can only drool over the details

 

[LadyArowana]

I thought for a minute EPC was like a DPC but to prevent the ingress of.... I don't know.... elephants?

Dead right, Zebra! And I've always assumed that all British houses are fitted with an EPC, because I have never in my entire, lengthy life seen an elephant inside a British home.

So EPCs must be very effective.

I had to have our EPC painstakingly removed when we renovated......