Let’s talk EPC 2.

EcoPropi Ltd. Blog 12/02/201614/03/2016Building refurbishment, House extension, Infra Heating, kill the mould, Loft insulation, mould removal, sprayed foam insulation 8 Comments

EPC rating

In the first part of the article we tried to provide a general overview about Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). Today we are going to explain what different ratings mean, and how they affect our everyday life.

To demonstrate these effects, we chose a home with the most common EPC rating on the British market. The diagram below belongs to such a house.

The EPC rating is 68 (level D). Most homes in the UK have a rating between 55 and 75, so we can say this example represents an average UK home. Now is this value good or not? I know I said this was an average value, so I might shock a few readers now when I say this value is very low. To tell you the truth only 2% of the British homes have a level B or higher rating.

Having today’s technologies and materials at our disposal it seems to me that this value is just not good enough. Although the climate varies on a large scale throughout Europe (think about the Mediterranean, Greece, Spain, Portugal and the northern countries such as Norway or Sweden) they manage to have a better overall rating in domestic EPC rating than the UK, regardless of their climate. This is because of the physical features of the buildings, the materials and technologies used, therefore the operations of the buildings are much more economical there (average EPC rating in Europe 75-80, in Germany this value is 85). Sadly the UK is significantly behind these countries in terms of domestic energy consumption.

The importance of thermal insulation started to become a factor in Europe since the ‘70s, whereas in the UK, energy efficient building technologies have only just started to be of high demand.

This results in quite significant arrears. We can still catch up to the leading European countries (in terms of high EPC rating domestic buildings), but we have to consciously design the new buildings and also plan the refurbishment projects.

The meaning of EPC rating 68:

cold, draughty floor
damp house
mould occurrence in corners, around windows, behind cupboards or in the bathroom – unhealthy environment
the changes in the outer temperature is perceptible inside the house even next to constant heating
high energy bills, high pollution emission

These conditions can easily be improved by professional diagnostics and the usage of modern building materials. Upgrading the windows to double-glazed or triple-glazed will not be sufficient on its own (it is a start nonetheless). To upgrade your house’s EPC rating to level “B” is easily achievable if you plan your next refurbishment project thoroughly and energy consciously – and it does not have to cost more!

How is this possible? What are the costs and how quickly will such an investment show financial return? We will elaborate these in our next article.

As usual, please feel free to share your comments, own experiences or relevant stories you may have.

To be continued…

(Quote the following code in your enquiry and we grant you a 10% discount of the price of your next project! NLTE2)

Let’s talk EPC 1.

EcoPropi Ltd. Blog 09/02/201617/03/2016Building Extensions, Building refurbishment, Infra Heating, Loft insulation, mould removal, sprayed foam insulation 11 Comments

What does EPC mean?

In this article we will try to help you understand what EPC means furthermore what it means in regards to your property. It is the mandatory document that goes with every property sale; EPC stands for Energy Performance Certificate.

It basically shows you how economical a building is. But what does it tell you exactly?

It is a classification that is based on a pre-determined scale (A – G, “A” being the most economical category). The categories are determined by direct measurable factors and indirect calculations.

The two most important factors are:

The measure of energy required to maintain a certain temperature inside the building
The thermal storage capacity of the building (calculated from its physical features)

These two factors are absolutely independent from one another. We can maintain 20°C in a room by either

Little usage of the heating system, but in a building with excellent thermal storage capacity
Or with massive energy consumption (constant heating) in a poorly insulated building

In both cases we would be sitting in a 20°C – room; so the result would be the same, yet what a difference in the energy consumption.

But the biggest difference is this: Let’s assume we turn down the heating in the living room for the night. In the first case (well-insulated room, excellent thermal storage capacity, high EPC ranking), not only, will the air remain a pleasant 20°C in the morning, but also all the solid objects (floor, walls, furniture, etc.) will not get cold. Whereas in the second case (poor insulation, poor thermal storage capacity, poor EPC ranking), we will definitely need a sweater till we have our first tea in the morning.

We are yet to highlight all the financial benefits that you can enjoy by having an economical home, with high EPC ranking. You can read about the costs of such an investment and the break-even time in our next article. Also we will explain the meaning of the different categories, e.g. what it means to have a home that is classed “D” in its Energy Performance Certificate.

In the meantime browse through our website for more interesting articles about insulation and heating technology, or contact us with any questions you may have.

To be continued…

(Quote the following code in your enquiry and we grant you a 10% discount of the price of your next project! NLTE1)

New generation of condensing boilers

EcoPropi Ltd. Blog 17/12/201514/03/2016Flooring, Heat Pump, Infra Heating, Surface Heating System 2 Comments

Condensing boilers by WOLF

The most commonly used appliance in building technology, due to its widely-known efficiency and reliability.

Another advantage of using a condensing boiler is its low installation cost. Many professionals have the misconception that condensing boilers do not go well with radiators. Well, the newest heating regulations have taken into consideration systems with changing temperatures. Read more

Services

EcoPropi Ltd. Service 02/12/201514/04/2016Bath, Bricklayer Jobs, Building Extensions, Concrete Blocks, Decorations, Drive, Electrical and Drinage Service, Extensions, Facade Ren, Flat Refurbishment, Flooring, Garage, Heat Pump, Infra Heating, Loft Conversions, Loft insulation, New Roofing and Repairs, Painting, Paving, Pergolas, Plasterboard, Plastering, Plumbing, Stone works, Tilling 2 Comments

How EcoPropi can help you

From designing a house to the last finishing touches, EcoPropi Ltd. will have the solution for all your needs. We offer some of the newest construction technologies, engineering solutions that are yet to become widely known or common.

Let it be a minor modification or a major refurbishment project, we will plan and prepare it, supply the materials, and complete the work with the utmost care, making sure that you will be happy with the result. In order to make the refurbishment work last and make the house economical, we will have to be prepared to deal with unexpected issues as well right from the start of the refurbishment (additional insulation, waterproofing, engineering and electrical works).

3D Design

Family semi-detached house - services 3D design

We will plan the stairs, footways, terraces, pergolas, flower stand, pavement, etc. We also put the garden furniture on the realistic 3D plans and consult with you regarding the colours. We will plan the connection between the exterior and interior, the layout of the new bathroom, tiling, etc.

Extensions and refurbishments – Refurbishment and bathroom design – Internal and external renovation

Internal renovation

We always aim to offer the most comprehensive package that meets your requirements. Not only will we do the necessary demolition, plastering / rendering jobs, but we will accomplish every bespoke design ideas you might have. Let it be bespoke suspended ceilings, custom lighting, glass-brick partition / wall, built-in fire-place, or a one-of-a kind bathroom, we will achieve to please you.

Tiling – Decorations – Painting – Plasterboard – Bathroom Fitting – Kitchen Fitting – Flat Refurbishment – Loft Conversions – Building Extensions – Plastering – Flooring – Plumbing

External renovation

house extension board insulation services

External renovation services are generally start with the renovation of forefront/facada. Once the scaffolding is removed we change the water pipes , build the patio or pergola as per the customer’s requirement. We put down the kerbstones/border stones and the paving. We build the fences and fit the outdoor lights with motion sensors. If you would like to know more about our building refurbishment services click here.

Extensions – Paving – Driveways – Bricklayer Jobs – Stone works – Concrete Blocks – Garage – New Roofing and Repairs – Electrical and Drainage Service – Pergolas – Facade Ren

Special works

prepared screed for floor heating - stage 1.

floor heating system preparation - stage 3.

In order to build high-standard buildings and to keep up with the ever-developing technologies used in our field, we only trade with the best suppliers, use the latest machinery. See them for yourself on our “Technologies” site. For further, more detailed information call us and we will be happy to arrange a meeting with you at your earliest convenience.

(Quote the following code in your enquiry and we grant you a 10% discount of the price of your next project! NSERV)

Infra Heating – Heat Pump – Injection – Ventilation System – Anti Mould Painting – Spray Foam Insulation – Surface Heating System