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Squeaked in with an EPC A Rating


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Just made it - we don't have a huge amount of solar PV and it's quite a large house, personally I think we'll have much lower space heating costs but the assessor assumed a 40 degree water temp for the UFH circuit.

 

Anyway, I'll take it - means we get our Ecology discount for the next year of the mortgage!

EPC.jpeg

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Found this interesting stat - bit old (end June 2014) but still relevant.

 

http://www.lcea.co.uk/epc-ratings-explained/

 

EPC percentage splits for Domestic EPCs asset / band Ratings

Domestic Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) lodged on the UK Government’s Register by Energy Efficiency Rating which fall into each A to G asset / band ratings: –

A      0.09%                          epc rating explained                            

B      8.39%

C      27.68%

D      38.70%

E      18.43%

F      5.20%

G      1.51%

N/A          0.004%2

 

 

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14 minutes ago, Bitpipe said:

Found this interesting stat - bit old (end June 2014) but still relevant.

 

http://www.lcea.co.uk/epc-ratings-explained/

 

EPC percentage splits for Domestic EPCs asset / band Ratings

Domestic Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) lodged on the UK Government’s Register by Energy Efficiency Rating which fall into each A to G asset / band ratings: –

A      0.09%                          epc rating explained                            

B      8.39%

C      27.68%

D      38.70%

E      18.43%

F      5.20%

G      1.51%

N/A          0.004%2

 

 

 

I doubt it has improved much from then! 

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Speaking of squeaking in:

 

EPC.png

 

Having 8.5kW of PV didn't hurt, and the shower waste water recovery probably helped a bit too.

 

From memory, we'd have done slightly better if we'd had full modelling of the wall and roof structures, and the 3G windows.  We were in a tearing hurry to get our FITs application submitted before the rate dropped again, so couldn't wait to figure out better values and had to use default ones instead.


I think our electricity bill will be of the order of £800-900 for the first year.  Not bad for a large family home, especially given I made absolutely no effort during this year to optimise anything.  Not sure about the FITs payment, but it must come close to rendering us cash neutral over the year. 

 

The very experienced guy who did it said he'd never had a higher number, which was lovely to hear!

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Now you're just showing off Jack :)

 

Agree that the modelling could be improved, we were in a similar position trying to get any kind of EPC ahead of the FIT cliff last Jan.

 

Still, no-one's beat Jeremy's 106 rating yet!

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Is there any good guide to "evidencing" and "assuming" around?

 

I can see this being a problem in the future.

 

eg I have just had an end wall in a rental boarded out inside while a T was redecorating with 50mm Kingspan (small room :-o ) in addition to the 25mm PUR that was already there. But of course I cannot prove it, and in a few years time rentals will have to be E (2018) then D (2025) then C (2030) on pain of prosecution iirc.

 

I wonder if they will be equipped with thermal cameras and checking 20 year old invoices and contemporaneous photographs which will have to be notarised ? !

 

What will happen is that the process will be driven only by things that can be proven on the spot, which will read through to what people actually do.

 

My own scores 77 but there is no reason to repeat the cert to demonstrate improvements, though the 77 assumes on some walls and excludes the underfloor insulation - while accepting that there is UFH, unless the contribution of solar will be devalued and I want the max EPC boost from my PV array.

 

Ferdinand

 

 

 

Edited by Ferdinand
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Hi

 

Info on SAP (new build houses) and rdSAP (existing houses) is available from the BRE website - full SAP/rdSAP guide and conventions for both schemes can be downloaded.

 

Re SAP ratings -  this is based on fuel cost so choice of fuel will have a big impact as will space/water heating system efficiency. Fuel costs are given in Table 12 of SAP 2012.

 

Ian

 

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1 hour ago, Ferdinand said:

Is there any good guide to "evidencing" and "assuming" around?

 

I can see this being a problem in the future.

 

eg I have just had an end wall in a rental boarded out inside while a T was redecorating with 50mm Kingspan (small room :-o ) in addition to the 25mm PUR that was already there. But of course I cannot prove it, and in a few years time rentals will have to be E (2018) then D (2025) then C (2030) on pain of prosecution iirc.

 

I wonder if they will be equipped with thermal cameras and checking 20 year old invoices and contemporaneous photographs which will have to be notarised ? !

 

What will happen is that the process will be driven only by things that can be proven on the spot, which will read through to what people actually do.

 

My own scores 77 but there is no reason to repeat the cert to demonstrate improvements, though the 77 assumes on some walls and excludes the underfloor insulation - while accepting that there is UFH, unless the contribution of solar will be devalued and I want the max EPC boost from my PV array.

 

Ferdinand

 

 

 

 

That's a good point, but really how few people care when buying a new home?

 

For me, the main driver was 1) to get the FIT before it collapsed and b) to get the Ecology mge discount for the next year. Nothing in the SAP scheme influenced me to do anything different than I was already planning - it was just a question of getting credit for decisions already taken.

 

That said, if I ever come to sell, I'll get a 4m high sticker made up of my SAP rating and apply it to the side of the house like a new fridge...

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@Bitpipe

 

Thanks. I think that illustrates that we all will be driven primarily by the concrete and financial consequences of any rules.

 

I predict that the values of trad small terraced houses will take a major hit some time before 2030 (say 10k or 10-15%) relative to a fully done-up one, as these can get to a D reasonably easily (I normally do that and it does not need exceptional changes), but will require something like EWI to reach a C. Unless the exceptions to the requirement are generous.


Cheers.

 

F

Edited by Ferdinand
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4 hours ago, gravelld said:

The space heating cost estimates still seem quite high on these - is that because of SAP's blind spot to higher performance houses?

 

I thought the same. On mine,  £1488 over 3 years does nt stack up with 5000 kWh per year, on a modern gas (mains) boiler. That's roughly 10p/kWh which is way off.

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I'd expect like most govt or other "standards" to allow for comparison a baseline is used. The Council Tax bandings are a good example where the price refers to the "value in year xx" and in SAP I expect they baselined energy cost at some point so there is a reference value. 

 

That means the EPC is now of course worth slightly less than the paper it's printed on .... 

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