Our village halls attached house is due to be rented out again and a couple of days ago had a EPC Energy Performance Certificate survey.
Due its form of construction, its a late 1890s Grade II listed building, no cavity walls, no floor insulation etc I was pleased that it achieved a D rating which means that it is OK to rent out, since the current minimum is E for rented property. However I was a little nervous when the surveyor told me that from 2025 the minimum will be C but as a Grade II listed I should be able to get an exemption.
However, the house that my wife rents out scored a D in 2019 and in order to become a C requires, in the suggested order: Floor insulation, Solar Water heating and Photovoltaic panels with a typical expected cost of £20,000 as per the certificate! I've ignored the sloping ceiling insulation which was Number 1 on the list at £1500, this due to the previous owner converting a utility room into a breakfast room and removing the ceiling and creating a pyramid style ceiling.
The certificate (like all others visible on the UK Gov website) reminds all that the UK average is D. These rules apparently were from the EU and take into account that the average age of a house is higher in the UK compared with the EU, so theirs have been built on average to a better spec.
Interestingly electric central heating makes the situation worse, my wife's property luckily has had a condensing combi-boiler fitted 2 years ago. I joked(?) with the surveyor whether an EV charger is good or bad, she was not too sure.
If you want to check EPCs then go to
Clive
