chrisw

Hi guys,
Has everyone selling or renting heard about this EPC? Or is it just Bob and I got caught napping on this? It is certificate which scores the energy efficiency of a property, and is MANDATORY for all properties for sale or rent, and which has to have the survey completed by 1st October 2008! Talk about short notice! Thought we were going to get away without having the HIPS done as our house was on the market before implemented and they kept moving the dates forward until now we have no difinitive date!
However, they have now imposed this EPC (which I think forms part of the HIPS, and if you already have the HIP you wont have to get a seperate EPC) It costs anything from between £60-£100. The £100 was quoted on the official Government site,(of course). We are paying £65 + VAT as surveyor discounts our EA. Apparently, you will even be marked down if you don't have low energy light bulbs! We replaced all the ones we hadn't already done last week, but can't get the "golf ball" light bulbs which we have in our wall lights in the sitting room. They do make them, but they are too long to fit! Anyone know if any company makes them in the normal "golfball" size?
Please excuse repetition as have mentioned this on the EA thread when updating, but it occurred to me as I had never heard of it before, that I may not have been the only one. Or maybe I am, in which caser I apologise for my ignorance Lol!
Love Chris XXX

Rosemary

I think that you can get them from a company that I ordered loads of bulbs from at the beginning of the year. Do a search for light bulbs on the Spain forum and you should find it. I would do it first and put a link but I do not know how to add the link.

Just found the thread and copied the link but do not think that I have done it correctly but here it is.

mailto:[email protected]



Good Luck

Rosemary

chrisw

Hi Rosemary!
Thanks for the response re low energy bulbs. Tried the link you pasted but it is an email address. Looked on the internet but have only seen one possible and they are over £5 each. It seems the low energy bulbs are about 90mm, the existing ones we have are only 75mm and just wont fit the glass shades of the wall lights. If you or anyone else comes across any normal size low energy standard bayonet golf ball bulbs I would be very grateful of any information as to where I can get them.
Thanks Rosemary, talk soon,
Love Chris XXX

Rosemary

If you google dba electrics they have an e=bay shop and they are extremely helpful and soooo cheap.

Rosemary

chrisw

Hi TB, thanks for the info re these piggin little bulbs! I will check out the ones you suggested and have a measure up of our wall lights to see if they will take a slightly longer bulb as the standard ones are a pretty close fit. Much obliged for the info!
How are things going with you? When did you intend to move? Hope everything going to plan. We had already started to pack when chain collapsed so now surrounded by packing cases! (19 at the latest count!)
It seems that we are on the same wavelength in relation to taking the bulbs out though Lol! I had thought exactly the same as you in the event that we couldn't get the right size bulbs to fit! I agree it is a ridiculous thing to include as is quite likely they may be taken with the seller and I would categorize them as removable objects not fittings and therefore not part of the property the survey is carried out upon. But there you go! Just had a count up and we have had to replace (not including lamps) 37 bulbs including the one in the garage and the two security lights in the garden!!!
Thankfully, our local supermarket has been selling them really cheap and we had been buing a few each week anyway, but they don't stock all sizes so looks like we might just have to bite the bullet on the dearer ones. Not quite sure about flourescent lights as they are already lower watt than standard bulbs.
I will ask our neighbour to clarify the above points if he can shed any light () on the subject, and update when I find out.

In relation to the EPC. The Government site @ http://campaigns.direct.gov.uk/epc/ gives the following information:
Does everyone need an EPC?
"The EPC is required by law when a building is constructed, sold or put up for rent."It advises:
Sellers or buyers of homes
All sellers of homes need to ensure that they provide a Home Information Pack which includes an EPC for potential buyers.
An EPC must be made available to a potential homebuyer – free of charge. (It doesn't, however, advise that one should be made available for potential tenants even though it it required to have an EPC done for property available for let).
HOWEVER!?
If you then go on to the Government site for information on HIPS, at: http://www.homeinformationpacks.gov.uk/ then click on essential information for buyers, there is a link for sellers and which contains reqiurements and exemptions re which properties require a HIP. For the time being, at least, ours falls under the following exemption which states:
"Since 14 December 2007 every home put on the market, no matter what size, must have a Home Information Pack".

You do not need a Home Information Pack for;

"Properties already on the market when the duty to have a Pack arises (1 August for sales of homes with 4 bedrooms or more, and 10 September (presumably 2007) for sales of homes with 3 bedrooms or more). "
Although I have read somewhere that the current exclusions may be subject to inclusion by January 2009. Whether or not they are, remains to be seen and will no doubt, be decided nearer that time.
Ours was put on the market in March 2006!

Confused? Join the club! Lol!
Love Chris XXX

chrisw

Thanks Rosemary, Googling now because "Google is my friend"! Lol!
TB, forgot to thank you for the tip on setting emmersion heater setting lower! Will do! Another dafty innit? I don't think we have EVER used ours and have been here for 20 years! Who thinks 'em up eh?
Love Chris XXX

chrisw

Hi all!
Had our EPC done. Was a little disappointed by result which was average.
TB, I didn't realise we haven't got a thermostatic control on our emmersion heater (which we have NEVER used in 20 years!) and have therefore lost 4 points! Re re no bulbs and how to score, if there is a fitting it will be regarded as requiring a bulb. (sorry mate, I did try!)
We replaced our cylinder jacket up to current standard, but it was apparently not thick enough (should be 200mm) so lost a point for that!
We are eligible for cavity wall insulation grant and are having a survey on Thursday afternoon. If fitted, that will be worth another 7 points. (our neighbour did our EPC and has offered to redo it if we have any further improvements made! )
We insulated both the roof and the rafters (requirement is 250mm) so insulated twice in effect, but we have a dormer bungalow and there is, therefore, internal inside walls (within the side loft areas) which should also have been done (or at least would have been beneficial).
The only light bulbs we hadn't managed to get replaced yet (and might not bother now) were the 5 golf ball lights. But apparently, it is worked out on an average on the overall total. We still had 83% which was over the required 50% so that was ok.
With regard to the bulbs, they apparently count a light fitting as one light even though it may have 5 bulbs in it. In which case, if you put all your standard bulbs in such a fitting it would only count as one standard bulb! So if you don't want to replace all of bulbs guys, rearrange to your best advantage! Flourescent tubes are regarded as low energy so thank God didn't have to replace the kitchen and 8 undercounter lights!
They don't seem to have worked things out very logically, do they?
The biggest improvement we could make on our particular house would be to replace our standard gas boiler with a condensing boiler. (NOT!) That just ain't gonna happen! That's it! I have probably just jinxed our 20 year old boiler now! They even take into consideration whether ther is a pilot light on the boiler. Fortunately, ours only ignites when the heating is turned on.
We have thermostatic radiator valves, but they still consider it an advantage if you ALSO have a room thermostat.
I told him that we have insulated between the ceilings and floors which was not counted! (no logic bihind this at all it there?) There are apparently 2 versions of the checks. The one he did involves about 60-70 checks, but there is a more comprehensive one with about 1000 checks. When you would have that I have no idea!
The potential score you are given confused me as it is never out of 100% and every house's seems to vary. Apparently the potential is attained by low cost improvements like low energy bulbs, thermal blinds/curtains, insulation and condensing boilers etc. You could only exceed the potential by carrying out all the usual first, then by installing things like solar water heating and solar photovoltaic panels etc, which would then attract an enhanced energy efficiency rating and an enhanced invoironmental impact (CO2) rating.
Apparently mains gas is considered more highly than bottled gas as they take into consideration the environmental effect of the processing necessary to bottle the gas, the energy used to poduce the containers and the vans required to deliver the gas. (that one would never have occured to me!)
Please take into consideration that the above information is specific to our property, so suggestions made to improve are in relation to our property only, and your results may vary in relation to your property.
Just thought it would provide some basis so anyone who is about to put their property on the market will have advance notice of some of the obvious and not so obvious, logical and downright silly application of other points! You should be able to query any specific points with your own inspector/surveyor prior to them carrying out your EPC.
Good luck all!
Love Chris XXX