Temp

Sorry i don't have more details other than what's in this vid..

Isn't that why they have (had?) two sections on the claim form? I think one was for receipts that didn't itemise the VAT. The VAT is then calculated once at the bottom of the form? Edit: Oh I see someone mentioned this already.

Is that the electrical supply for the outside light running along in conduit? If I zoom in on the outside photo there appears to be vertical lines where the light is? As if the internal wall is there rather than where your red line is?

Is this work being done on a house that is and has been empty for 2 or 10 years? Eg so that it qualifies for reduced VAT? If not then I agree you will have to pay the VAT You can't buy the materials without VAT yourself. They can't buy the materials and sell them to you without VAT (if VAT registered). Being VAT registered allows all companies to reclaim VAT. Next time you buy a dishwasher ask the shop if they will knock the VAT off and see how it goes 🙂

All I can suggest is that in any new application you address the errors that you think might come up again. I mean without actually referring to the previous report if that's possible. Just work then into the Design and Access Statement or similar. I suppose it depends what the errors were. If it's something like the history of the site then write your own history.

I hate to suggest l it but I think I would get a planning consultant involved. It's possible you only needed the planning application to cover the retaining wall and those areas raised more than 150/300mm. I'm not certain but they might argue planning isn't required to lower the top area as it's permitted development.

I would temporarily disconnect power to the porch light, ideally some distance away in the house. See if problem goes away. PS Not just the live but neutral as well.

If you are insulating the outside I would go for.. Insulation Roof membrane Battens vertical Boards Use insect mesh top and bottom to stop mice etc getting up the batten cavity. I would line the inside with a vapour barrier and plasterboard or OSB if you want to fit shelves. What's the building standing on? If you have an oversized concrete base already I would raise it up on 1 or 2 courses of engineering bricks with a DPC on top. If you like you can extend the battens and cladding down over the brick leaving a >1" gap between cladding and slab.

Is it really working as a direct IR system (heating people direct) or is it actually heating up the building and furniture then the air and that's why people feel warm? How warm do rooms get? If your room air temperature is getting to say 21 -22c then it's no cheaper than any direct electric system and in the UK that's historically three times the cost of mains gas. I suppose if it's small and well insulated the absolute running cost would be small whatever system you use.

Yes appeal. Point out that you application is for much less than the normal 50% of the original garden allowed under PDR. Also cite recent applications by neighbours that were approved. You could also consider making an application for an extension identical to the neighbours. If that's approved it could be raised as evidence at the appeal for the outbuilding.

What extra height? Floor heating is thick because you need a lot of insulation, I don't think you would need any less with IR heating.

+1 I've made some complaints to the ASA about people claiming there heaters are better and had them upheld. IR heaters work well in a commercial garage where you want to heat people stood in front of them but they wouldn't be my choice for a house. If I had to use electric I'd use a heat pump and wet UFH as I'm not a fan of air to air.

Self builders can reclaim that 5%.

I don't think you can use the self build VAT reclaim either but you probably know that.

I haven't looked at your plans in detail but we used two remote manifolds. We wanted very high flow rate showers and ran 28mm from our thermal store to a home made manifold near each of the main bathrooms. Then 22mm from there to the showers. Regarding return loop pipes.. think about hot taps where you want hot water to appear quickly and run the return from as close to those as possible. We have a basin in a WC and the return pipe connects about 8ft away from the tap. Even that's too far away from the tap. You've washed your hands before the hot comes out. The return on the kitchen tap is right under the sink at that's much better. Some people put PIR sensors in remote WC so the loop pump starts when they enter rather than running all the time. You can also put timers on them so they don't run at night if you want Builders don't insulate hot pipes and the return nearly well enough or even at all in some places. Consider taller stand offs to space pipes away from walls/floors a bit further than normal so you can get more insulation around them?