Carbon Census in East Dulwich

[Sue]

Did anybody else get a letter recently from "The UK Carbon Census" saying they were conducting a census in your road?

They are basically offering to provide an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) for ?20. They claim to have already done six streets in East Dulwich. They say they can save you money by showing where you can conserve energy.

But then they say if you want to use the EPC to sell or rent your house you have to pay them to register it.

Is this something useful, or a total scam, or something in between?

If it's just recommending "energy-saving lightbulbs, more insulation, draught-proof, condensing boiler" etc I can't see much point in shelling out any money at all.

[kristymac1]

We had a survey done by these guys and they were really good - didn't cost us a thing though (we must be have been one of the lucky ones in the first 6 streets). They do a full assessment of the property and rate each aspect according to Government set guidelines and scales. To be honest our survey didn't throw up any suprises, we know we should use more enery-saving light bulbs and that the loft insulation could probably be better, but we still found the comprehensive survey useful.

They were professional, turned up when they said they would and were pleasant and polite. I think the idea is that if there are enough properties getting the survey done and if enough properties require the same work then a deal can be done with a local contractor to carry out the work for cheaper.

[Sue]

Thanks that's useful - maybe I'll go for it then!

[Marmora Man]

This is a Victorian area - almost by definition our houses will be energy inefficient. Drafts, thinning glass in windows, elderly central heating systems, many chimneys, thin walls. Some actions can be taken to improve matters but a Victorian house will never be as energy efficient as a modern purpose built property with all attendant technology.

Beware being told you're well off the mark and ask what is the best that can be achieved in this sort of housing stock.

[Sue]

Marmora Man Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> This is a Victorian area - almost by definition

> our houses will be energy inefficient. Drafts,

> thinning glass in windows, elderly central heating

> systems, many chimneys, thin walls. Some actions

> can be taken to improve matters but a Victorian

> house will never be as energy efficient as a

> modern purpose built property with all attendant

> technology.

>

> Beware being told you're well off the mark and ask

> what is the best that can be achieved in this sort

> of housing stock.

xxxxxxx

I agree with most of the above, but - thin walls???

[kristymac1]

Totally agree MM, that's why we found this energy survey useful - it gives a rating of your home in its current state and then gives you the optimum that is achievable for your home. Ours is a Victorian terrace and the optimum was not far off what we are currently at and wasnt unrealistic.

[ratty]

often to but costs, victorian builders cut the bricks in half to get twice as much brick for the money. Hence, thin walls. Lots of properties in Telegraph Hill are like this so perhaps it is true of ed too

[Sue]

Blimey!

The walls of my little Victorian house seem quite thick. Noise doesn't seem to carry through them much, anyway.

Only prob with them is that you can't have that insulation that goes inside walls (forgotten what it is called, duh) which I have had in previous places I have lived in.

[lizzie]

But it says in their blurb that this survey is compulsory if selling a property and that they're cheaper than getting an estate agent to do it - is this true? First I've heard of it

[Sue]

It certainly was going to be compulsory at some point, but I can't remember if the government backtracked?

[aicardo]

A lot of chat about energy efficiency measures to Victorian houses...

Yes you are right, they are quite inefficient, an average house has the equivilant of 38 bricks missing with a lack of draught proofing and insulation!

There is plenty you can be doing though, from a ?30 energy meter that measures your savings in real time to draft proofing your front door (?10) as well as loft/roof/wall insulation (?300). I found some really good websites while making a few improvements last year...

http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/What-can-I-do-today/Energy-saving-grants-and-offers/Search-for-grants-and-offers

http://www.ethicalsuperstore.com/category/electronics-and-appliances/home-energy-meters/

http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/nav.jsp?fh_eds=%3f&fh_reffacet=categories&fh_location=%2f%2fcatalog01%2fen_GB%2fcategories%3c%7b9372016%7d%2fcategories%3c%7b9372050%7d%2fcategories%3c%7b9372234%7d&fh_refview=summary&fh_refpath=facet_159016185

[louisiana]

Sue Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> It certainly was going to be compulsory at some

> point, but I can't remember if the government

> backtracked?

EPC is compulsory as part of HIP, and HIP is compulsory since April this year.

So yes, if you want to sell...

[FredCasa]

30 quid for telling you you need loft insulation and energy saving light bulbs? This is a con....

[louisiana]

It is a con, but agents won't advertise your property without a HIP, and a HIP has to have an EPC. Just another marvellous waste of time and money introduced by this government. Or perhaps part of their work creation scheme to keep people out of the unemployment stats?

[Jamma]

It's a total con. A smart one trying to cash in on confusion about HIPs and general environmentalism but a scam all the same. Spend your ?30 on energy efficient lightbulbs instead.

[louisiana]

Not an option if you have to buy a HIP, I'm afraid. HIP's are compulsory by law now for house sales: no agent will sell your property without one (or even advertise it).