Urgent Petition needed re EPC?

1. EPCs provide a baseline level of energy performance which excludes occupational factors and treats the dwelling as an asset.
2. The consultation explains how the metrics outlined aim to demonstrate whether a dwelling is performing well or not
3. No idea what this means
4. The use of SMETERS technologies to calculate dwelling heat-loss based on smart meter, and internal temperature monitoring, is mentioned, however this requires a long period of monitoring in the dwelling, and the SMETERS trial which was previously run only produced a better heat transfer coefficient value than the calculated one in 20% of cases so is far from proven.

Hi,

I instructed Open Rent to do an EPC on one of my flats in South Woodford E18 last week. It had a rating of a D. It cost me £69. The Open Rent representative attended but my tenant was out. They allowed me to make another appointment free of charge. They attended and within a couple of days I received the result. My property was rated a C. The only reason it didn’t reach an A or B is because the roof is in a very poor condition which the council is responsible for. It flagged up that it would cost me £850-£1500 to fix it. I am not raising it with the council as I don’t want to pay for a new roof. An EPC provides you with the information of what you need to do to make your property more energy efficient. They last for 10 years so it is worth getting it done to guide you where you can make changes. I’ve heard the government want to make landlords get an EPC every time they get a new tenant. What a load of rubbish. Greedy so and sos.

Reply to the comment left by Sheridan Vickers at 06/02/2025 – 12:13
You’re misinformed; the EPC reform consultation wants private-rented properties to always have a valid EPC, so when one expires, a new one should immediately replace it. It’s absolutely not a new EPC for each new tenancy.
The consultation runs until 26th February and is available online so it might be worth reading it for yourself rather than relying on poor secondhand information.

Reply to the comment left by D J at 06/02/2025 – 09:35Hi DJ, the problem with the existing EPC system and likely convoluted replacement is the classification carry great weight but are often inconsistent or plain wrong. Consider the following modern block of flats with different ratings for similar properties. They are not validated with real world evidence – so hypothetical at best. Not a great system ?
Here is a list of properties in the same block with a variety of ratings. There is little consistency in measurement yet the impact if you are assessed as below “C” rating has large cost implications. An evidenced based approach on actual energy loss could easily validate or debunk these ratings and provide comparisons and real world achievements and this could quickly and cheaply validate whether this system is appropriate.

In my eyes, EPC C is going to see a huge amount of landlords sell up.

Luckily I’ve only got 3 left that are not currently an EPC C, they are high D’s

1, due to construction type will never make it unless I spend 2 – 3 years rental income on it to make it a C. Obviously I will just sell it.

If the government made EPC upgrades tax deductible maybe more landlords would make improvements.

I don’t think that any of my tenants know what an EPC is and the ones that do don’t care, they are just happy to have a home.

Once the RRB comes in and landlords sell up there are going to be so many people made homeless by the government, which they will blame landlords for.

I’ve got some spare money from fixed term savings accounts. I’d normally use it to buy more houses but I think now it’s going into the stock market. Better returns and less problems.

It’s worked well for my wife and her parents, so I have to thank Rachel Thieves for pushing me into the right direction and unfortunately making more people homeless

Reply to the comment left by D J at 06/02/2025 – 14:37
There’s a lot of fake news out there to be misinformed. I know an EPC has to be renewed once it runs out that’s why I got it done when it ran out!

Reply to the comment left by Sheridan Vickers at 07/02/2025 – 11:56
Please correct me if I am wrong but I believe currently an expired EPC only needs to be renewed before the start of a new tenancy.

I’ve just had a few done as I don’t live near the houses and with the upcoming EPC requirements for the PRS and possible changes to the way they are scored, I thought it’s best to get them done now.

In 10 years time I will have retired and don’t mind slowly selling all of them.

Reply to the comment left by Desert Rat at 07/02/2025 – 12:05
I think you are correct. This is from Property Loop:

Renewing an Expired EPC During an Ongoing Tenancy: Is It Necessary?
As a landlord, you may have come across the term “EPC” or Energy Performance Certificate. An EPC is a document that rates the energy efficiency of a property, offering insight into its environmental impact and potential utility costs. Typically, an EPC is valid for 10 years. But what happens if your property’s EPC expires during an ongoing tenancy, and you have no intentions of renting or selling the property currently? Let’s explore whether you need to get a new EPC done under these circumstances.

The Short Answer: No, you generally do not need to obtain a new EPC if it expires during an ongoing tenancy, and you have no plans to rent or sell the property.

Explanation: EPCs are primarily required when a property is being sold or rented out to new tenants. If you are mid-tenancy and have no plans to make changes to the tenancy agreement or market the property again, obtaining a new EPC is not mandatory. The existing EPC, even if expired, remains valid for the duration of the current tenancy.

Reply to the comment left by Sheridan Vickers at 07/02/2025 – 14:56
Absolutely correct.