EPCs. What is the future?

[pulhamdown]

Hi.  We built our house in Scotland in 2012, just before the EPC system became compulsory.  So we are not on the Scottish register, but we had an EPC done and it came out as A100.  We just scraped into passiv haus territory, with an airflow reading of just under 0.6 ach, but didn't get it certified.  When we replaced our oil fired boiler with a heat pump, we needed a new EPC for the grant.  So the original EPC was based on the SAP, but the new one was based on the rdSAP for existing homes.  We ended up with a C74.  Clearly something not right.  The system is not fit for purpose, but how on earth can it be changed to make it useful for purchasers?   Perhaps keeping the original EPC based on the SAP, and renewing that every 10 years with appropriate changes taken into account?  The assessor who came to do our second EPC had never seen a "passiv haus" and clearly didn't really get it.  When he saw our EPC of A100, he said there must have been a mistake, and that he'd never given a higher score than C75!  I do realise that the current system faults are mainly down to the methodology of the rdSAP, and I believe there is a plan to change the system sometime next year, but I'm not holding my breath. 

Edited 4 hours ago by pulhamdown
Typo

[JohnMo]

The system just uses people that are happy to cut and paste - sh!te in st!te out. Many assumptions made, but you pay maybe a £100 or less for the EPC - but to do the EPC correctly would take tens of hours. What can we expect? Just treat as a tick in a box and move on would be my advice.

 

Keep your electric bills for a future buyer - way more important than EPC.

[saveasteading]

2 hours ago, JohnMo said:

to do the EPC correctly would take tens of hours.

There  are a lot of useless people doing this, and good too of course.

the test is whether they ask questions and/or give suggestions. interested or its just a job. have some questions.

 

some are just random guys that have been given the task by their employer.

I recall a family purchase and upgrade,  of traditional brick walls and somebody came to assess for the gas or electric company for some reason. He spent 5 minutes making assumptions for 'this sort  of building'. didn't check in the loft. wouldn't listen that we had upgraded the party wall.  I wouldn't be surprised if he thought this was a cushy job and would start his own assessment business.