EPCs- a waste of time & money

[Pobinr]

I've been showing a vacant flat lately & the prospective tenants don't give a monkeys about the energy efficiency. Not one has asked to know the energy efficiency rating. Occasionally one might ask how much the heating bills are. That's all. They probably wouldn't be able to get a direct correlation between energy value on a certificate & precisely how much the flat will cost to heat !
These certificates are a waste of our time & money.
Anyone know how the fine is for not bothering with these idiotic bits of paper invented as a consequence of quangos & the born again man made global warming brigade ?

[Rodent1]

I've been showing a vacant flat lately & the prospective tenants don't give a monkeys about the energy efficiency. Not one has asked to know the energy efficiency rating. Occasionally one might ask how much the heating bills are. That's all. They probably wouldn't be able to get a direct correlation between energy value on a certificate & precisely how much the flat will cost to heat !
These certificates are a waste of our time & money.
Anyone know how the fine is for not bothering with these idiotic bits of paper invented as a consequence of quangos & the born again man made global warming brigade ?

Ther is another section of the forum devoted to this , BUT must say I A GREE, to date NOT ONE request for an epc !

And when offered P T not even aware of what it is, or able to understand it !!

AGREE complete waste of time, money etc

The fine is, i believe £200 per prop for non compliance.

The Rodent

[Izzycam]

Have you heard of anyone who has been fined yet.
I haven't.

[Rodent1]

NOPE!

The Rodent

[Izzycam]

Exactly, I think they have more important things to worry about since they brought this new law in, such as trying not to let the economy grind to a hault.

[Pobinr]

Ah at last some sensible non obnoxious replies, unlike the offensive reply from 'Mind the Gap'.
My only concern would be in the event of seeking reposesion would one's right to possesiion be compromised if no EPC ? As is the case if you takea deposit & don't register it.

[bunny]

I have used four different agents in the last month or two for let only and only one has asked me for an EPC. However I have supplied them for all properties.

Not one tenant has asked for the EPC albeit I have been asked questions regarding bills at properties.

However, I am aware of a landlord who is aggrieved that they are providing EPCs whereas it appears to them that other landlords with competing properties are not so they are reporting the landlords/agents advertising the properties to trading standards.

Time will tell whether the enforcers really do enforce.

My way of working is to comply with the law whether I like it or approve of it or not (call me a sheep!). Only time will tell whether tenants with a grievance will cotton on that they didn't receive an EPC in the same way that tenants are becoming very savvy over the deposit laws now that they have been in place for some time.

[mind the gap]

Ah at last some sensible non obnoxious replies, unlike the offensive reply from 'Mind the Gap'.

What is 'obnxious' and 'offensive' about pointing out that there is a forum specifically for questions relating to EPCs etc? Please don't distort the content or the tone of my reply. It was removed, not because it was offensive, but because the Moderators clearly agreed with me that your question was in the wrong forum and moved the whole thing.

I chose not to respond to the question as such, since its wording and its tenor both suggested fairly clearly that you had already made up your mind on the issue.

[rajeshk4u]

Pobinr: I agree partly with you about the EPC, because I ask myself why only ask landlords to carry out a EPC, why not ask all homeowners?

But I disagree with you about not taking global warming seriously. Just as in the same way our economy is ruined due to the banking crisis, so will our environment be ruined due to our negligence. Everyone has to do their bit.

But given the governments idiotic decision to build a new Runway at Heathrow and more expansion at Stanstead, London City Airport etc.... exactly how does the government hope to meet cuts in green house gases?

As a landlord, what will be the impact on climate change on your property be? perhaps it may be impacted by floods? A couple years ago, I was shocked to see that heavy rains flooded many properties in south london. Also major floods in beds and bucks.....

Also, what about our farming. what do you think you will eat, if we have major droughts?. You can't eat your property!

[mind the gap]

I have just rented 50 student houses - not a single tenant asked to see the EPCs.

That has not been my experience this year, although the student tenants we have signed up this time round have all paid - and struggled to pay - utility bills in non-Uni accommodation last year - unlike first year students, who can leave the heating on all day and be charged no more. I honestly think some of the latter have no idea how much energy costs, and if they did, they would ask (as the more experienced renters are doing in Newcastle and Leeds) about how much the bills will be. They will learn...

An EPC cannot tell them exactly what they will pay, of course, because to some extent, it will depend on how frugal/wasteful they are, as well as on how energy-efficient the property is. But an EPC is a start; it is a useful comparative tool for prospective tenants/purchasers when looking at more than one property. I agree that all homes should have one, as a first step to raising awareness of how as a society we can reduce the 24% of UK carbon emissions which are produced by residential property.

It's OK, don't bother to jump up and down and scream and shout - the head-in-the-sand 'global warming is a myth' arguments have been well-rehearsed on this site for long enough, by people including LLs who really don't think it is their problem*. For the record, I have also argued before now that government grants should be available to LLs as an incentive to make their rented props as energy-efficient as practically possible, and that if LLs pay a proportion of the cost, they should be refunded the cost of the EPC, too.

*They will learn, too...!

[Sportingdad]

Rented just over 40 properties from Jan 1, request from tenants for epc's =0 advice requests from fr Landlords re carrying out eps'c=0 epc's actually carried out=0.

Dead duck comes to mind !

[jeffrey]

Rented just over 40 properties from Jan 1, request from tenants for epc's =0 advice requests from fr Landlords re carrying out eps'c=0 epc's actually carried out=0.

Dead duck comes to mind !

No. A dead duck has at least some purpose; you can eat it.

[mind the gap]

No. A dead duck has at least some purpose; you can eat it.

Unless you don't eat dead things.

Even if he does not agree with the law, he should not break it.

[jeffrey]

Even if he does not agree with the law, he should not break it.

True, but it is not a criminal offence. The only sanction is a new-Labour local authority civil penalty charge notice (£200): reg. 35. of the Home Information Pack (No. 2) Regulations 2007 [SI 2007 no. 1667].

[mind the gap]

True, but it is not a criminal offence. The only sanction is a new-Labour local authority civil penalty charge notice (£200): reg. 35. of the Home Information Pack (No. 2) Regulations 2007 [SI 2007 no. 1667].

I've always suspected civility was going out of fashion. Pity.