Recently bought property with EPC rating D?

EPC ratings are rather subjective and two of the most significant factors are loft and wall insulation, which the assessors make assumptions on as they don't bother to check. Appreciate wall insulation may be difficult, but had one property where 'assumed none' despite latticework of filled holes on exterior walls where it had been injected. Have one property in block where EPCs range from C to E and only appreciable difference between properties is the proportion of low energy/LED bulbs fitted! Worth checking the ratings of any similar neighbouring properties and what recommendations against them in first instance as you can do that for free via EPC website.

Reply to the comment left by N. T at 05/04/2023 - 22:14How do we contact you N. T?

Reply to the comment left by N. T at 05/04/2023 - 22:14
How can you be contacted?

Reply to the comment left by Shakeel Ahmad at 08/04/2023 - 06:48
Contact can be made through membership profiles if the member has the contact form set up.

Reply to the comment left by Matchmade at 07/04/2023 - 00:41
Any assessment done on a property in 20-30 minutes, unless a very simple property layout, is likely be less thorough but reflect the fee paid. Typically expect double this amount of time to ensure capture all the features.

Reply to the comment left by Al at 07/04/2023 - 08:48
Some of the "assumed" comments in the SAP report are auto-generated and not necessarily an assumption by the assessor. And sometimes the assessor simply "misses" observing some details as they are only human. So worth asking for a draft copy of the report before lodging and checking / clarifying any points you consider incorrect.

Alternatively they may be charging such a low fee that they need to get in and out quicky to make a return on the training and time investment.

Hi, first of all I believe that RdSAP, the standard used by DEAs for assessment is due to be updated shortly. This may affect the rating on any EPC.

Second based upon the information you provided it sound like the property may have already received a lot of effeciency improvements, either retrospective or upon construction but some easy wins could be.

Existing loft insulation, if this is less than 270mm then get it up to 300mm this would meet current building regulations.

Cavity walls make sure they're fully insulated.

Heating gas boiler? Look up the make and model on the pcdb. Current boilers have efficiency in the mid 90%, if the difference is 10% or more this should have a significant effect.

Solar water I don't know about but solar PV, especially with electric heating such as storage heaters or ashp should have a massive effect. I have heard the new standards are nerfing this combo though. Also solar is in high demand at the moment meaning that prices are at a premium.

Solid walls, expensive to insulate but best improvement for your tenant.

Also is the renter on any means tested benefits? There are a few options unde the ECO4 funding model that may be open to you if the property needs solid wall or first time central heating.

Reply to the comment left by Matchmade at 07/04/2023 - 00:41
If a dea is done in 30m he isn't doing a proper survey.

Reply to the comment left by Judith Wordsworth at 05/04/2023 - 12:34
Experience on renewing an EPC against that originally conducted 10 years ago is the Rating drops a few points, although sometimes this is due to inaccuracies in the previous survey. So where an existing EPC is borderline on Band Rating the risk of dropping down to the next Band is high.

Reply to the comment left by N. T at 05/04/2023 - 22:14
Where are you based?