Epc ratings tool

[SilenzioBruno]

Does anyone know if it’s possible to work out (roughly) your own epc rating? I’ve tried searching for an online tool but no success. I’m pretty sure that the current epc on the house we bought made some faulty assumptions eg no loft insulation when in fact there is some… Thanks!

I don’t know about an online tool, but EPC ratings last 10 years. I am trying to buy a house with an outdated one (vendors demonstrated work done to improve the rating along side the EPC recommendations). Maybe yours is out of date too?

Hi @Zooforhouse, thanks for the bump It’s a brand new one done just before we bought this house, but apparently done a bit carelessly. It’s also puzzling me because there’s another almost identical house (part of a terrace) just gone up for sale and not only does their epc have a better rating with the same assumptions, it gives them a potential rating of a high b whereas our potential apparently barely scrapes a c. I can’t see how they can both be correct so I wanted to do a bit of working out before I decide on the order of improvements. The windows you know I plan to keep! So have to work hard on the rest…

Ha, I didn’t look at the user name!

So have your vendors not got an updated epc? I thought that was a requirement unless the house is listed? Doubt our vendors would have done it unless they were made to!

They don’t seem to have no…..

I do epc's - happy to take a look at your cert and see if I can work out what you want to know!

EEnyMeeny, could I please ask you a question.

I own a flat. Previously on the site, there was a Victorian detached house. It was knocked down and a new property built in 2002 which is 2 maisonettes. It looks like a Victorian property from outside, but is less than 20 years time.

My EPC says something liked ‘cavity wall insulation assumed not to exist for property of this age’

Do you think it was assumed the property was Victorian? Wouldn’t you expect a 2002 property to have cavity wall insulation and if it couldn’t be seen, due to property age, should it be assumed it is?

And with things like this, is there any way to challenge the assumptions, especially about the age of property? Does it help to meet the EPC assessor when the survey is carried out and show evidence of property age etc?

Thanks so much if you’re able to throw any light on this kind of thing.

Really tricky! Was it completely flattened and completely new building built? Then my guess would be they have 'mistaken' it as victorian.
Is any of the original house remaining? If there is then it would have to be lodged with the original build date probably, unless you had extremely sturdy evidence from the building owner. It is always best to work with the assessor, as you may be able to provide them with evidence they can use to improve the sap rating.
You can absolutely make queries with the Accreditation scheme to see what they say, but it might be best to ask the assessor first.

Thanks v much.

Yes, totally flattened and rebuilt. Think the assessor thought it is a Victorian conversion.

I’d assume that in 2002 anything was built with cavity wall insulation.

It’s a real pain, because the rating is lots of points lower as a result and has a D band, not a C band. In the recommendations it mentions cavity wall insulation and that the points this would add would boost it to C. But it’s got it already as far as I’m aware!

I’m considering getting it re-done. It was previously done 3 years ago and just before I bought it. I’m hoping if I meet the assessor to let them in and show the evidence of planning permission and insurance for a new build they will believe it.

The thing is, if you look even slightly closely you can see it’s not Victorian, just built in that style to reflect the rest of the road. It’s a bit disappointing that someone who’s an EPC assessor can’t tell the century of build, when the gap is over 100 years.

Thanks Eeny, I had forgotton about this thread! Let me dig out the info - today's a bit busy, so it will be later on . I suppose it doesn't really matter unless they really do make mortgages contingent on rating - but if they're going to do that it would surely need to be a more stringent process too?