EPC work cost £8k and property is still a D! Missold air source heat pump

Reply to the comment left by JB at 31/05/2023 - 11:12
be aware of bad workman though.

Increased loft insulation can mean knock on effects with additional ventilation requirements in some rooms for example so that will hike up the price from free to £X as other works are not included. Maybe cheaper to go elsewhere....

Reply to the comment left by JB at 31/05/2023 - 12:41You are right there is a newer "ECO4+" to run in parallel to "ECO4" that is due to start this summer. They have actually renamed it to "Great British Insulation Scheme". Exact eligibility doesn't appear to be finalised yet but could be interesting so I'll keep an eye out. Thanks!
https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/what-is-the-great-british-insulation-scheme-eco-plus/

Reply to the comment left by Jonathan Cocks at 31/05/2023 - 09:22
Hi HP servicing isn't something I have come across but I would suspect an annual service similar to a gas boiler service is something you would need to avoid losing your warranty. No idea of cost or room needed but given the main unit is outside most should not have an issue with space. GL

Reply to the comment left by Wayne Church at 31/05/2023 - 15:10
You should have space around the outside unit as recommended by the ASHP manufacture otherwise it doesn't work effectively. The installer should knows this.

I had my heat pump installed by an MCS registered installed as part of the RHI scheme. You need an annual service to keep the 7 year warranty. It was about £100 they changed some basic bits and pieces, check fluids etc nothing dissimilar from a "normal" boiler service.

Reply to the comment left by DSR at 31/05/2023 - 12:46
When I had loft installation installed last year (grant funded) I paid £65 to have 10 easyvents installed to prevent condensation building up - I hope its worked

Reply to the comment left by JaSam at 31/05/2023 - 15:48
JaSam and Wayne C. thank you for info. that is less than i expected.

As an Energy Assessor of some 12 years standing, I have been watching this blog with interest. Firstly I feel sorry for the lady who spent £8,000 on installing an Air Source Heat Pump in her letting property but I think she should have done a little more research before going ahead.

Using the current methodology of the EPC rating, it is not based on the environmental impact of the property but the cost of heating and water in the property. This in turn is based on how well the property is insulated in the walls, floor and roof, and how efficient that is in keeping the heat in the property. Electricity is still considerably more expensive than gas and replacing a modern condensing gas boiler with an ASHP is going to reduce the EPC rating rather than improve it. If it is an older boiler then there will be some improvement but not likely to be substantial.

I would like to give an example of a recent survey I have done which was on a modern detached house (under 10 years old). The houseowners had replaced the boiler with an ASHP and had the gas taken out of the property. They asked my opinion as to whether that would improve their EPC rating and I suggested it would not. They then put in PV panels, admittedly it was a large array, 6.8kw and asked me to do a new EPC on that. The original SAP rating on the new property was C79, the rdSAP rating after installing the heat pump was C77 and the new rating with the PV panels installed is A100, I think I have only had one A of any sort before. The point I am making is that PV panels do make a difference but a very big difference with electric heating.

If you haven’t all fallen asleep, I will make one further point. High Heat Retention storage heaters, particularly in flats and small properties do make a big difference in the ratings. I have had a number of examples of the wide variations in the ratings between HHR storage heaters and panel heaters. However state of the art the panel heaters may be they are still direct action heaters on the higher standard tariff. Two things to remember about installing the storage heaters, firstly you must be on dual tariff electricity or they are just considered as panel heaters and secondly the HHR heaters must be on the EPC heating database.

Of course the government could well change the methodology between now and when they demand a C rating.

Reply to the comment left by John Allies at 01/06/2023 - 15:44
So the leading question is how do us mere mortals know what is on the EPC database, which boilers, heaters, insulation. Otherwise how can we ever choose the best cost effective way of upping the EPC rating.

Reply to the comment left by GlanACC at 01/06/2023 - 15:50
Virtually all gas, oil and LPG boilers made in the last 30 years are on the database and some older ones as well. There are very few electric boilers on it and the only storage heaters there are the HHR ones. The names that I know are on it as of a few months back are Dimplex and Creda (who are the same company) and Elnur. There are other makers and I will check it out.

Reply to the comment left by John Allies at 01/06/2023 - 15:44
thank you for your input. i didnt fall asleep, but i would like to follow up on GlanACC comment with
' i know i get extremely frustrated with trying to understand EPC and how i can make a difference for my Tenants with my limited budget for improvements etc ie i can only afford to do it once.
but do you get frustrated with the current 'process' and surely it needs to have a complete overhaul rather than try and tweek it to force it over this line?'