Personal HIPS experiences - please let us know.

[Inspector John]

Thank you for that....I'm glad and happy that your aim is not at me or my fellow associates. I quite understand how you feel, Believe me and many when I say that a good party in the local brewer is one I would avoid if any government was to organising one (if you know what I mean) I would predict the ale would be a tad off.
As Re your question
In the report, a ground floor is regarded as a heatloss floor and the age of the property is taken into account in the software calculations, regardless of what may have been done unfortunately..

The walls as you have said are timber framed and insulated
However we are advised that in certain circumstances it may be inappropriate and inadvisable i.e your C18th East Anglian oak-framed house for any recommendations as re wall insulation
Your rating will be possibly low but that is reflected in the age, type, and structure and would be taken into account

 

[Inspector John]

One other thing I need to mention is if you have any invoices to say that the cavity walls are insulated, then this is reported in the software calculations That would increase your rating...
Ps I'm away and busy for most of the week, so I am unable to post, however please continue posting and I will do my utmost asap to answer your Q's the best way possible..

 

[Gervase]

Oh dear - so, like the current approved docs for building regs, it would appear the the criteria for HIPs are based on modern buildings, and are essentially irrelevant to older houses. Which means that the casual 'Country Living' buyer will have fifty fits when confronted with the report on their dream cottage and probably commission all sorts of damaging work.
Groan!
I did look at doing a qualification course mysellf - but at £7k for a week's study it looked a bit of a rip-off, compounded by the fact that the 'trainers' didn't seem remotely interested in the fact that I was experienced with traditional building techniques.

 

[Nemesis]

The placcy window salesmen will be laughing all the way to the bank no doubt.

It's a shambles.

What on earth does the training consist of?

 

[Inspector John]

Oh dear - so, like the current approved docs for building regs, it would appear the the criteria for HIPs are based on modern buildings,

Not quite right read again please
and besides the buyer who is unsympathetic to an old building will do anything they want regardless of what me you or anyone else says If they want to install those beautiful plastic windows with the Georgian bar and gold handles... They will. except if it's listed of course
Ps There's another approved doc. coming in next year Part Q

The placcy window salesmen will be laughing all the way to the bank no doubt.

It's a shambles.

What on earth does the training consist of?

They do anyway....
Could be...
More than a week...and a lot of hard work

Ask me another

 

[Nemesis]

OK - tell me about original timber sash windows and what would be said about them, and how they should be 'upgraded' according to the energy report.

I understand that one of the main reasons the government has pressed ahead with HIPS is the amount of cash we are all supposed to be saving by acting on the energy reports.

 

[Inspector John]

A DEA or HI will not recommend upgrading windows of a listed building in a report.

As Re: Cash Yes and saving the main thing 'The Environment'. Which we all take for granted...
There are now grant's available from the energy savings trust
http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/ for households on low incomes.....
I'd give everyone a grant and not build nuclear
But that is just my personal opinion

 

[Inspector John]

I didn't go away after all, change of plan.....

 

[Nemesis]

What about unlisted buildings? Not all historic buildings are listed...

Grants - last time I investigated Thermafleece told me that it was very difficult indeed to get a grant for it.

 

[Inspector John]

Blimey you don't hang about

I'll get back to you on that one but I think if it's not listed or in a conservation area then recommendation's are made
We have to do a search to make sure it is or isn't listed

 

[Inspector John]

last time I investigated Thermafleece told me

When was this?

 

[Nemesis]

About February I think.

It's quite complex, really, getting a grant.

Tell me then about windows and the report... because I wish to submit evidence to a Commons Select Committee about this one.

 

[Inspector John]

It is quite possible that if a building is of a historic nature a DEA or HI may be sympathetic to it's needs, but then again we have to follow guidelines
May I add that when I started studying to become a home inspector It was more for the HCR than the EPC.
The EPC was originally included in the HCR

 

[Inspector John]

submit evidence

Please explain further

 

[Nemesis]

I mean that there is to be CSC on the subject of energy measures.

 

[Nemesis]

CLG Select Committee inquiry on existing housing stock and climate change: to 26th September
Although current efforts to reduce the contribution made by people's homes to climate change have focused on new-build housing, the UK's domestic building stock is responsible for around a quarter of all carbon emissions in the UK.

The Committee is conducting the inquiry to examine the contribution which existing housing stock makes to UK carbon emissions and the means which might be used to increase the resource efficiency of existing homes. Particular topics which will be considered within this context include: the significance of existing housing compared to new build and the different levels of performance each display and the provision of information for households and prospective house buyers.

It will also address the specific challenges which may arise in relation to housing of special architectural or historical interest.

The Committee invites interested individuals and organisations to submit written memoranda addressing these topics by 26th September. Further information on this inquiry can be found at: http://www.parliament.uk/clgcom or contact: David Weir, Second Clerk of the Committee, tel: 020 7219 3290, email: weird@parliament.uk

Like many people, I am very concerned that historic windows will be removed from buildings and replaced with new in order to up the energy rating when selling, because of recommendations for a HIPS report.

Not all historic buildings are listed.

 

[Inspector John]

Interesting..
My opinion is that I don't think people will replace windows to up the ratings in order to sell. Why spend out...
There's the property, that my asking price I'm willing to negotiate (or not) to a price that I want and no lower....
It's More likely they will do it if the widows have deteriorated and replace them with something unsuitable
In which we are all helpless to do anything about....
We know that some of these people haven't got an understanding of historical buildings and there are those who very unfortunately couldn't care less
However you are right to be concerned. Is there anyone else submitting?
i.e SPAB, EH?

 

[Nemesis]

No idea as yet.

I think that people are very easily fooled and that windows will be replaced, it's happening all around me anyhow. uPVC has spoiled just about every nice building everywhere. You can now spot the listed ones by the fact that they are not placcy, although in several cases placcy windows have been fitted to listed buildings too.

The savings are minute and the total environmental costs don't seem to be considered, nor the fact the replacements won't last - plastic degrades, DG fails.

Estate agents of course praise the fact buildings have the 'benefit' of uPVC.

 

[Penners]

As Re your question
In the report, a ground floor is regarded as a heatloss floor and the age of the property is taken into account in the software calculations, regardless of what may have been done unfortunately..

The walls as you have said are timber framed and insulated
However we are advised that in certain circumstances it may be inappropriate and inadvisable i.e your C18th East Anglian oak-framed house for any recommendations as re wall insulation
Your rating will be possibly low but that is reflected in the age, type, and structure and would be taken into account

Oh dear. It's as I feared. Ifs and buts and... software??

Unless an empirical, comprehensive thermal insulation test can be carried out on the house (and I appreciate that it can't, otherwise the whole thing would cost an impossible amount of money), what's the point of it all*?

You might as well be blindfolded and stick a pin in the energy rating chart.

*Actually, I can answer that question myself. The point is for the Government to look as though it's doing something "green" about domestic energy consumption.

 

[Stephen]

I have just seen the draft RICS paper to go to the select committee.

I cannot make it public (yet), but it pulls nopunches.

It also reveals that BCIS (Building Cost Information Service) has recently put together a new database on pay-back periods and these are far longer than previously suggested.

The thrust of the paper is that we need to do something, but the main concern is the unthinking approach and danger of inappropriate works, etc. It also indicates that whilst EPCs could be useful (as a general indicator), as they stand and linked with HIPs they ae no good. Furthermore there are too many assumptions, etc when dealing with non standard buildings that mean EPCs are too vague and inaccurate to rely upon.

When the final version is released and made public I will se if I can get a link to it for you.

Stephen