{"id":350828,"date":"2024-11-11T07:41:06","date_gmt":"2024-11-11T06:41:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=350828"},"modified":"2024-11-11T07:41:08","modified_gmt":"2024-11-11T06:41:08","slug":"when-it-comes-to-energy-performance-certificates-landlords-just-cant-win","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=350828","title":{"rendered":"When it Comes to Energy Performance Certificates, Landlords Just Can\u2019t Win"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From The Daily Sceptic<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By\u00a0Sallust<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just imagine, as a Daily Sceptic<\/em> reader, temporarily going insane and buying into the rental market. Next, imagine going even more insane and pouring your savings (or increasing your mortgage) into trying to kit out your rental properties so that they gain the highest possible Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) in a nod to the U.K.\u2019s fixation at pouring astronomical sums down the eco plughole. You\u2019d soon wish you\u2019d never been born<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s what the Telegraph<\/em>\u2019s Secret Landlord<\/a> has done, but came a cropper when trying to improve a Victorian flat:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

At great expense, I\u2019ve carried out internal wall insulation and upgraded the electric storage heaters in my one-bedroom Victorian flat (I\u2019d already fitted double glazing years ago).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s no gas and, given it\u2019s a flat, no way to do something fancy with solar panels or heat pumps, so I elected to purchase two high heat retention storage heaters, which cost \u00a32,500 with the installation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I chose these top of the range models because I was assured they would help me achieve the hallowed EPC \u2018C\u2019 rating, which rented properties are required to have by 2030, up from the current grade \u2018E\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The assessor had already told me I only needed one heater to improve the score, but as I also wanted to improve the quality of a tenant\u2019s life, I bought an extra \u2013 rather than a panel heater, which I could have done without lowering the EPC rating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Having also installed lovely wooden flooring, I called the assessor and asked him to revisit the property. I still had a couple of years left on the old certificate, but wanted to get it done now to show potential tenants the new enhanced ratings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Imagine my surprise when the certificate came back with a \u2018D\u2019, just one grade higher than it was previously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cue angry phone call.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI did what you said, why have I not got a \u2018C\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou didn\u2019t install 50mm insulation under the floor.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut it\u2019s got floorboards, plyboard, insulated underlay and then wood flooring \u2013 surely that\u2019s enough?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry, Secret Landlord, you needed to insulate under the floor.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut,\u201d I said, \u201cI\u2019ve been doing research on this and I worry it may rot the joists, there\u2019s a fear it may breach the damp proof course and cause other issues.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey don\u2019t care about that on the EPC.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo, what am I going to do?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI suggest you either rip up the floor and insulate, or accept the \u2018D\u2019. They\u2019re changing the software in January, so you may be better off just doing it now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSorry, what?\u201d I exclaimed.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

At this point the conversation moves from the absurd to a Kafkaesque nightmare. The assessor continued:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cYes, from January we have to measure all the windows, say what direction they\u2019re facing and list the age. Electric heating will also potentially get downgraded because the new update includes heating costs and electric is more expensive to run. To be honest, I don\u2019t understand why the Government is pushing heat pumps because having them could potentially lose you up to 11 points.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOK, so you\u2019re essentially saying we\u2019re having a window tax by the back door and the electric revolution they\u2019re pushing is going to penalise me?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a mess. The new tests will take double the time so the costs of an EPC will go up, I also wouldn\u2019t be surprised if many assessors quit \u2013 loads left during the Green Deal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOK,\u201d I said, reeling from this new information. \u201cWhat is it I should do?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell, if you lower the ceiling by 400mm that will give you three extra points, you do have very high ceilings.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cue insane laughter. So insane, the assessor had to cut across my guffaws.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut honestly, I don\u2019t think the Government will stick to the \u2018C\u2019 grade, I think they\u2019ll lower it to \u2018D\u2019. Also, they may drop that metric altogether as it\u2019s measuring the wrong thing \u2013 it\u2019s not in line with carbon reduction, and that\u2019s what they\u2019re trying to do.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The Secret Landlord is thus left thousands out of pocket chasing an EPC rating being carried as fast as possible up the pitch attached to a pair of goalposts operated by mutating software. Even heat pumps turn out to be a liability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The EPC is exposed as a pointless farce. The Conservative government proposed a \u00a310,000 (previously \u00a33,500) cap on landlords\u2019 spending on an EPC upgrade. If that spending wasn\u2019t successful in improving a landlord\u2019s EPC rating, he or she could apply for an exemption. But the Telegraph<\/em> points out that in almost every instance the real cost of \u2018improving\u2019 a property is far higher than 10 grand \u2013 in some cases almost four times. Difficult to imagine how you\u2019d ever get the money back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Worth reading in full<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Just imagine, as a Daily Sceptic reader, temporarily going insane and buying into the rental market. Next, imagine going even more insane and pouring your savings (or increasing your mortgage) into trying to kit out your rental properties so that they gain the highest possible Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) in a nod to the U.K.\u2019s fixation at pouring astronomical sums down the eco plughole. You\u2019d soon wish you\u2019d never been born<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121246920,"featured_media":350829,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","_crdt_document":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[691831416,691820155,691818198,691831417],"class_list":{"0":"post-350828","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"hentry","7":"category-uncategorized","8":"tag-electric-storage-heaters","9":"tag-energy-performance-certificates","10":"tag-heat-pumps","11":"tag-secret-landlord","13":"fallback-thumbnail"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/0xepc-1.png.pagespeed.ic_.0xV8wPk-mo-1.png?fit=1440%2C551&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paxLW1-1tgw","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":250238,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=250238","url_meta":{"origin":350828,"position":0},"title":"Landlords Will Be Forced To Spend Thousands To Meet Net Zero Targets","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"30\/03\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"How much more pain are these idiots going to inflict?","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image-1257.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image-1257.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image-1257.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image-1257.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image-1257.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":250231,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=250231","url_meta":{"origin":350828,"position":1},"title":"Nest Zero","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"30\/03\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"The UK faces a housing crisis. There seems to be general agreement about that.","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image-1254.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image-1254.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image-1254.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image-1254.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image-1254.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image-1254.png?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":369707,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=369707","url_meta":{"origin":350828,"position":2},"title":"Amazonian Rainforest Obliterated To Make Way For COP30","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"13\/03\/2025","format":false,"excerpt":"As any level-headed sceptic knows, a great deal of climate change activism is about posturing and virtue-signalling. No surprise then that part of an Amazonian rainforest has been obliterated to accommodate the upcoming COP30 summit.","rel":"","context":"In \"Amazon\"","block_context":{"text":"Amazon","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=amazon"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/0DALL%C2%B7E-2024-05-27-20.06.55-A-realistic-illustration-comparing-two-scenarios-in-the-Amazon_-one-with-deforestation-and-one-with-sustainable-practices.-On-the-left-the-deforested-1-1103x630-1.webp?fit=1103%2C630&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/0DALL%C2%B7E-2024-05-27-20.06.55-A-realistic-illustration-comparing-two-scenarios-in-the-Amazon_-one-with-deforestation-and-one-with-sustainable-practices.-On-the-left-the-deforested-1-1103x630-1.webp?fit=1103%2C630&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/0DALL%C2%B7E-2024-05-27-20.06.55-A-realistic-illustration-comparing-two-scenarios-in-the-Amazon_-one-with-deforestation-and-one-with-sustainable-practices.-On-the-left-the-deforested-1-1103x630-1.webp?fit=1103%2C630&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/0DALL%C2%B7E-2024-05-27-20.06.55-A-realistic-illustration-comparing-two-scenarios-in-the-Amazon_-one-with-deforestation-and-one-with-sustainable-practices.-On-the-left-the-deforested-1-1103x630-1.webp?fit=1103%2C630&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/0DALL%C2%B7E-2024-05-27-20.06.55-A-realistic-illustration-comparing-two-scenarios-in-the-Amazon_-one-with-deforestation-and-one-with-sustainable-practices.-On-the-left-the-deforested-1-1103x630-1.webp?fit=1103%2C630&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":370763,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=370763","url_meta":{"origin":350828,"position":3},"title":"How a Heat Pump Destroyed One Consumer\u2019s Perfect Energy Rating","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"18\/03\/2025","format":false,"excerpt":"The\u00a0Telegraph\u00a0has been running a number of repent-at-leisure heat pump stories, and this\u00a0latest one\u00a0is no exception.","rel":"","context":"In \"Energy Costs\"","block_context":{"text":"Energy Costs","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=energy-costs"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/0Screenshot-2025-03-17-154725.jpeg?fit=1200%2C626&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/0Screenshot-2025-03-17-154725.jpeg?fit=1200%2C626&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/0Screenshot-2025-03-17-154725.jpeg?fit=1200%2C626&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/0Screenshot-2025-03-17-154725.jpeg?fit=1200%2C626&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/0Screenshot-2025-03-17-154725.jpeg?fit=1200%2C626&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":339200,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=339200","url_meta":{"origin":350828,"position":4},"title":"Ed Miliband must ditch his ludicrous EPC targets \u2013 for everyone\u2019s sake","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"11\/08\/2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Blindly following a perverse EPC system is a waste of everyone\u2019s time and money \u201cThe problem is, they are absolute s---.\u201d That\u2019s the damning verdict on Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) from one senior figure at a sustainable building charity.","rel":"","context":"In \"Ed Miliband\"","block_context":{"text":"Ed Miliband","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=ed-miliband"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/0shutterstock_editorial_13421352af.webp?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/0shutterstock_editorial_13421352af.webp?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/0shutterstock_editorial_13421352af.webp?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/0shutterstock_editorial_13421352af.webp?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/0shutterstock_editorial_13421352af.webp?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":251853,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=251853","url_meta":{"origin":350828,"position":5},"title":"Net zero rules saddle high street with \u2018disastrous\u2019 \u00a390bn upgrade bill","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"08\/04\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Of course, empty shops don\u2019t need heating or lighting, so maybe the resulting energy savings are part of the government\u2019s cunning plan!","rel":"","context":"In \"Empty shops\"","block_context":{"text":"Empty shops","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=empty-shops"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/0empty-shop-middle-street-3JPG.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/0empty-shop-middle-street-3JPG.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/0empty-shop-middle-street-3JPG.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/0empty-shop-middle-street-3JPG.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/0empty-shop-middle-street-3JPG.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/350828","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/121246920"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=350828"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/350828\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":350832,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/350828\/revisions\/350832"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/350829"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=350828"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=350828"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=350828"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}