EPC rating of ' F' - I'd be mad wouldn' t I?

[escape]

The house I have my eye on to rent for a while - it has an EPC certificate rating of ' F' - which is bad news ...
I just need to totally forget it don't I?
Unless anyone has any chinks of positive enlightenment to share on heating an incredibly inefficient house...

Do you enjoy huge gas bills? Shivering under blankets wearing two jumpers?

Depends why it is an F.

Not having energy saving bulbs in all light fittings affects the grading.

Not giving the DEA access to the loft space affects the grading.

There are too many variables. Do you have a copy of the EPC? Could you put it on your profile and I'd have a look (Husband is a DEA, and I might as well be with all the work I do for him!)

We have rented an F rated. Supplier has said average use last year suggests a bill of £120 a month for dual fuel which isn't horrendous I don't think. If you shop for best deal and try and be a bit frugal it could work. We have draught excluders and putting up our own better curtains etc. to help.

Thanks for input! much appreciated!
Obviously horrendous bills and a freezing house is exactly what I don't want!
Two houses actually - both ' F" both 19c old ... 'coach house' types. One large and airy with old single glazed windows.
2nd is double glazed and more ' nook & cranny' style..
Is there a way to check past usage?
I pay 120 quid a month now, dual bill, for a smallish new build, don't want to inflate that by much if at all.

I think if it was a deal breaker the agent should help you. I got estimate from supplier once we moved in. We went from new build to 19th c single glazed and you de feel the difference. It won't ever be as warm but it is fine and we have a fab house for the money in a v expensive city.

A 19c house is going to be a lot worse than a new build, no matter what. If you were buying I could give you a list of all the things you could do to bring it up to a D or C, but TBH there is no point in a rented house.

You can add things to make yourself more comfortable - heavy lined curtains, secondary glazing etc, but the most important factors in any house are Boilers (condensing is a must), double glazing, cavity wall insulation (or secondary internal insulation) and programmers, thermostats and TRVs for heating control - none of which they are likely to have.

I don't think it is worth the hassle or the expense for a rental property.

Again thanks - your inputs are really useful.
My main problem is that I am ' trading up' financially' so it's all to be considered.

The last house we rented didn't have a scary EPC as far as I remember, but it bloody well should have. Sanded floorboards with none of the gaps filled, a huge great hole underneath the patio doors, almost no insulation in the roof (certainly none above the bathroom as given away by the speed at which mould grew on the ceiling), double glazing that seemed to be purely decorative, those ikea curtains you could spit through etc. The energy bills were astronomical and we were still always cold. There's very little you can do to make it better when it's rented.

We bought a house with plenty of insulation and have added more all over the place, plus new (really good) double glazing, lovely thick carpet and underlay upstairs, etc, etc. it's lovely and cozy. Eventually we'll get round to putting in a newer, more efficient boiler too. After years of cold, rented houses we've resolved never to be cold in our own house.

Renting?

No, don't do it.

If you were buying I would say look into what you could do about it, but if you are renting the answer is probably "nothing".

Think long and hard, we have just had a gas/electricity bill for £350 for one months supply. The house is always cold and I live in 4 layers of clothes! I wouldn't buy this house again (it's Edwardian). We have the thick curtains, draught excluders etc etc but its still leaks heat like mad :(

Before you discount, the EA should be able to give you the full EPC, so it'll say on there what remedial action can be taken. Some things might be reasonable cost-wise

DH said cheerily to me this morning that the plus side of draughts is that they give excellent ventilation to rooms.

Yes if a house has lots of air flowing through it then you won't get mould!

Whorules - you have scared me with that bill!

At least with renting if it doesn't work out you can move on quickly?! We will if ours turns into a £350 p/m money pit.

Going mad with it. This place just too small , but don't want to move kids schools. Not much out there anyway and to take the next 'step' size wise I am looking at a min of £300 extra per month... I'm a dole earner, so everything has to be calculated carefully. Meh.

Just read back my last post : SOLE earner ! SOLE not Dole!