C rated homes - the reality

SolarCity · Nov 2, 2011

Okay, like most of you I have been desperately trying to juggle the manic rush for installs and the desperate need to plan for life after DS day (Death of Solar).

One of the most pressing issues seems to be achieve a C rating for homes. From what I have researched, this is far from easy - and potentially immensely costly. How can we possibly hope to sell a system to a customer when we are sat in their lounge telling them they will need to have all their windows changed a new boiler put in (Anglian must be rubbing their hands). 'Cos, that's the great thing about the recession, isn't it? The fact that we're all dancing around with £25k burning a hole in our pockets.

Anyway, so after we've visited a customer and informed them that their house is not suitable and they will need to spend their life savings on getting it sorted, we then battle it out with the other 4,000 firms to try and win the PV job.

Just who was part of this 'consultation'?

confounded · Nov 2, 2011

BiggsSolar said:
Okay, like most of you I have been desperately trying to juggle the manic rush for installs and the desperate need to plan for life after DS day (Death of Solar).

One of the most pressing issues seems to be achieve a C rating for homes. From what I have researched, this is far from easy - and potentially immensely costly. How can we possibly hope to sell a system to a customer when we are sat in their lounge telling them they will need to have all their windows changed a new boiler put in (Anglian must be rubbing their hands). 'Cos, that's the great thing about the recession, isn't it? The fact that we're all dancing around with £25k burning a hole in our pockets.

Anyway, so after we've visited a customer and informed them that their house is not suitable and they will need to spend their life savings on getting it sorted, we then battle it out with the other 4,000 firms to try and win the PV job.

Just who was part of this 'consultation'?

The new tariff, although it will leave demand at 25% of this year with supply the same, is workable for the stronger companies, the C rating requirement is the death knell.

SRE · Nov 2, 2011

My background is 20 years in the energy efficiency field - it's just about impossible for hard to treat homes to get to C, that's why they are hard to treat and renewables are supposed to be the alternative.

Not only will you be fighting with every other company to get the sale but who will pay for the EPC? Does the customer who is already getting a significantly reduced rate for their installation now have to pay £50 - £75 fr their EPC just to be told they will get 9p because they can't make the criteria?

As I said on Monday it's not a 21p rate it's a 9p rate for the vast majority.

TedM · Nov 2, 2011

There is also the question of how buildings that are currently exempt from EPCs get treated. Such as places of worship, agricultural buildings, workshops, and some holiday accommodation (open for less than 11 months in a year).

Needs to be stressed to DECC in the 'consultation'.

You may find that there are some borderline D homes that only need the PV installed to take them to a C. But I don't imagine there will be many of them.

thesapper72 · Nov 2, 2011

This proposal to have a property reach an EPC 'C' rating is all to do with the new Green Deal, the vast majority of houses in the UK currently do not reach this reating ans as SRE quoted above, to get a 'C' rating for some properties is virtually impossible. So from what I see they are brining in this minimum EPC rating of 'C' to try and kick start the Green Deal.

I have been doing a course recently which will eventually lead to the Green Deal qualification. From what I have seen and been told I can not see it working.

At this point, no one is quite sure how the Green Deal will work, not even the people who were taking the course.

It has not been agreed 100% what will be covered by the Green Deal. Solar PV will not be covered and external insulation to properties, which will be the main thing that most houses will need to reach a 'C' rating will only be partially financed by Green Deal.

It has not been finalised how the financial side of the Green Deal is going to work and who will be eligible for it, and the most worrying point is that you may need to be credit checked to receive Green Deal financing!! Defeats the object really.

Tiberius · Nov 2, 2011

Loft insulation and caverty wall insulation schemes have been going since the 80's so yer 25-30years on were still carrying on throwing billions at it. Seems its the easier scheme to scam in my view and post "good statistic's" for the government and councils.