Ferdinand

Yes, I think solar does still make a difference. I broadly take the "massive disruption" point ??. That is where mine is - extension / rebuild took it to EPC 74C in 2009, and it would be unjustifiablee to gut it for a another decade or two, so it is now tactical. However - on your point quite a lot of improvement schemes have an EPC as part of the process iirc - eg for a time solar FIT was restricted to higher EPC number, some projects do "before and after", and rentals are regulated on it so have to be able to demonstrate a minimum level. Now, an E - due to go to a D soon. Since newbuild is only about 0.7% of the stock per year, it would not shift the average *that* much, and (checking) the ECO programme has now done nearly 3 million "Energy Efficiency Improvement Actions". The English Housing Survey is sample based, so quite robust. However, dig into the data from the EHS and you can see the shifting between bands, and other aspects improving. Not fast enough, as ever, but improving. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/945013/2019-20_EHS_Headline_Report.pdf eg EPC C's are up from 11% to 38% in 3 years, whilst the total newbuild is only about 6-8% of the stock. eg eg 2

They do expire - usually after 2 years in my experience, but a - Planning may not notice the date. b - The consultant may update it at a minimal fee. Ask. c - An existing report is useful research for a new one. Check. d - Sometimes the data can be reused or purchased - often for eg traffic surveys or ground testing etc.

I did a thread about a 1960s one here. Not quite the same, but some stuff will be useful - especially perhaps my non-intrusive way of running services. Does it have asbestos? Have a look at raising the door heights (depends on ceiling) and putting in say 100mm of Celotex over the slab.

You can always ask a mod. Just PM any of us, or use the general message form. I've put Mod Cat Avatar back up. In Scotland there are something like 2 million to do. In England something like 24 million. Assuming 80% of dwellings. It needs an industrial strategy like the one applied to battery factories.

In rentals already happening at the edges. 3-4% extra rent is possible here, for example. If houses can only be sold with a C, it will get discounted by cost-to-renovate a couple of years before. The people who get spanked will be those who do poor renovations. There is a certain amount of squealing going on in the LL community, especially about the proposed 10k you have to have spent on EE before you get an exemption. I'm wondering about penning a "grow the f*ck up, you''ve known about this since 2013" to the NRLA mag. My EPC adviser told me an anecdote about a cheapskate who had drylined with 25mm of insulation, when the EPC procedure says ignore anything under 50mm ?. I'd say that the Mail are trashing EPCs because they know it is happening. And I am not so sure that our housing stock is *that* terrible anymore (despite the perma-Henny-Penny lobby) - though by BH standards it is poor. It seems that the average EPC value in Scotland is 67, and in England about 63-64. now. England graph over time from English Housing survey. The drivers of the Social Sector better values are a - Investment by Govt, b - More flats, c - Newer Stock. I've never looked up just how much C02 that has saved already, but it's a lot. Nor have I compared to other comparable countries (which means mainland Europe but we were nothing like so demolished in WW2 so have older stock.) Perhaps Ireland or Denmark are the only real comparators? I wonder what Gas Bills would be if we were all still at EPC E?

CORRESPONDENCE Request acknowledged.

Thanks for this. I started listening. But Ye Gods 34 minutes ?. Might gird my loins later with a cup of coffee and a tot of whiskey. (Listening, hoping most of it is questions ?). Most of your summary seem to be very sensible points. It's good that they are not doing the titfer-tatfer England thing. The overall "68% reduction by 2030" is the same. General question - how much reliance is placed on the Electrical supply being decarbonised? In England quite a lot - but in England there is a *lot* of windpower coming on stream in the next few years. IIRC for "zero carbon homes by 2030", in England decarbonisation of the power supply contributes ~20% of the journey to ZC homes. I'm interested how they will separate out "heating" from eg "cooking" or "using the oven"? Difficult to judge. 1m homes is about 38% of the Scottish housing stock. According to the score-card, in 2018 43% were EPC C or better. 1,000,000 homes is roughly the total rental stock from Councils, HAs etc. That should be low-hanging fruit, based on the above. 43% already done by 2018, and looks to me to be slower than the existing trend. A conservative target to demonstrate "got there early" success? Unless they are really going to hit a brick wall getting Owner Occupiers to comply. A shock for owner occupiers - previously talk has been of 2045 aiui. That may the most challenging measure by the look of it, depending on the date of the requirements. A lot will need big renovations before sale. But I like it. 2030 as implementation date might be more sensible. They have to move rental and owner-occupied in tandem otherwise it would cause a crisis for renters as LLs gave up. Scottish private rental rental stock is some way down from the peak (-10% by 2018 ish). This combined with rent controls could cause a problem - maybe a sell off in the next few years. A canary in the coalmine for England to watch, perhaps - if any Govt consider applying rent controls here. In line with English suggestion. Demanding but sensible. Will need careful exceptions. Targeting oil? (135k oil heated homes in Scotland) What are the alternatives? What counts as a boiler? Suspect that rural wood is a loophole. Is that averaged across homes-needing-improvement or all homes? Ferdinand

(If you want a distraction from useful work today, this is it.) Do you have a data-based reference showing that most people on bikes are not courteous, please? If you are next to them at a junction, isn't that the opportunity to overtake? (And a paragraph reference from the Highway Code, if you have one?) That sounds fair enough comment, @markc. F

I don't think you will. Get him to put some MDF in his chosen surface protector outside for the winter.

Looks good. For next year, you should perhaps have started already: https://www.gardenersworld.com/plants/vegetable-seeds-to-sow-in-october/ (Though I would be watching the old runs of The Beechgrove Garden, given where you are.) My gardening has been less productive this year; it feels a little wasted. Though certain projects have persisted.

That's what I say when there is some distraught Mr Toad trying to squeeze past dangerously someone on a bike in order to get forward to the traffic jam at the next junction 7 seconds early, in order to wait 7 seconds longer.

If there is a gate there already, you should be able to argue that it is an improvement. If not, you may need to put it back from the road one vehicle length. Talk to Highways, which will probably be your unitary, National Park, county, or Borough.

You can do whatever you like, subject to any legal requirements and what the vendor is willing to do, and enforcement being practical. But it needs the correct advice, and professional drafting, and that costs.

I love the idea of a "free lancing" website in that typo ? Calling Sir Gawain...

Mine doesn't but I tend to have 1 or 2 every year. And he may get some useful stuff the other way. He does well on Google as they are called "Energy Performance Consultants" ?, and he is a former senior policeman in his second career. F

Thanks. I'm quite keen on considering orientation, sun, view, overlooking before thinking about "this cupboard is in the wrong place". But the advantage of BH is that you get good support on both sides (winks at @ToughButterCup), and we all have different angles. As a concept design it is important to remember that this is the architect throwing thoughts around - a sighting shot, and your role is to be an active client and give vigorous feedback - not be a doormat. I hope that is not taken the wrong way, but it is a common thing for self-builders not to be assertive enough and end up with the architect's vision, rather than their vision made workable and inspirational by the architect. Tea now with Any Questions. Brief comments later. I wonder what @the_r_sole or @AliG has to say. Both very good at this.

I mentioned micro-hydro before, and it has got lost on this thread. If there is that possibility even 80-100w can make a hell of a difference in winter, and is complementary to solar. The blog I mentioned before has a lot on there buried quite deep.

I'm being thick, but which side is the front for "facing" purposes ? Is it "facing" the lawn and the trees? So the orientation of the "Ground Floor Plan" you just posted is NE towards the top? Would you mind posting a copy of your design brief, or the short summary thereof you gave to the architect? I'm thinking there are possible position-on-plot and orientation issues here that could make your house much less livable, but I don't want to give you a half-baked reaction that I can't justify.

Easy peazy.

North arrow? Is there a location plan showing site boundaries?

@Codydog I hope it is still the size you told Planning it was going to be ?

You may get some good ideas by looking at a few episodes of Your House Made Perfect, which gets 2 architects to do designs on a project and presents them in a virtual studio. One architect is normalish, and the other is nutter-ish, so it is a good balance. And the client gets heard for once. I recall one or two good ones long, narrow places.

Get 3 estimates and show him the biggest one and ask him to take it off the price .

In one case I quote, yes. But it may be different things in different houses for me, and there are all the houses in the PRS with similar questions. And beyond that all the houses in the OO sector when someone finally gets around to applying a stick to get the quality of those improved. So underneath there is an important fight for the principle. Perhaps Councils will shift their position when they are overwhelmed ?. The current houses of interest are between 1850 and 2010.

We'll see. I'm expecting "prove you own it", and some gubbing about copyright. But I want to explore / map the process and the thinking. The copying cost should vanish when I request a PDF. Accepted, that they may say "you can access these documents through XYZ chargeable process." I've been on the fringes of MySociety for about 15 years, so I have some involvement with this kind of thing. I will copy correspondence here.