The Lemon Fool

According to the EPC that I have just had done, our house has five stars for the low energy lighting in fixed outlets.

As far as I am concerned, the light bulbs belong to me.

Am I right in thinking that when I sell the property I can if I want remove the low energy light bulbs and either leave no bulbs or as a courtesy replace them with ordinary bulbs?

Or as a consequence of the EPC would a buyer be expecting the lower energy bulbs to be left in situ?

brightncheerful wrote:... Am I right in thinking that when I sell the property I can if I want remove the low energy light bulbs and either leave no bulbs or as a courtesy replace them with ordinary bulbs? ...

Shouldn't the Law Society Fittings and Contents Form (3rd edition) make clear what is and what is not to be included in the sale?

Section 6 Light Fittings suggests there should be bulbs (lamps glow and bulbs grow) left in each fitting, when a fitting has been replaced, but doesn't specify as to what type.

Presumably the EPC should be read on the basis of what you currently have but you are not guaranteeing what will be there on completion.

Edit: Specimen TA10 available in pdf form via here https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/support-services/advice/articles/transaction-forms/ but I didn't spot a specific guidance notes.

I've just moved into a house with lots and lots of high-energy (mostly 50w) bulbs at several per circuit. So if for example I turn everything in the bedroom on, I'm burning well over half a Kw.

That's an awful lot of bulbs to replace with LEDs. What a waste! As buyer I'd've been happier if there had originally been nothing there, or maybe just a couple of bulbs per room to tide me over until I got round to fitting the low-energy ones.

Worst of all is the kitchen, where all those lights in the ceiling don't even do the job, 'cos anything I do on the worktops is in my own shadow. That room needs redesigning, though it'll be a while before that hits top of my priorities list.

Don't get me started on EPC stuff. You wouldn't like me when I get grumpy.

I was talking to someone earlier today about these, as we have quite a bit of experience of them, and how useless they are, as we are moving house at the moment. The chap I was talking to has a rental proprty, which he is required to pay for a new EPC every three years. In his latest one, he was marked down for not having (much) loft insulation, and not having his cavity walls filled. When he queried the, on the basis that he has at least 200mm of loft insulation, and has all his cavity walls filled, the inspector said, "well I didn't check the loft, and I couldn't find out if the cavity walls were filled" so assumed the worst,and refused to amend the EPC.

This mirrors what was reported in the house we are selling. EPCs are a classinc case of paying peanuts and getting monkeys.

It gets worse though. The property we are buying which is a good 150 years old, has an overall EPC rating of 9 (nine) out of 100. This is largely because the certification system is designed around new houses. If we did half of the reccommendations from the EPC, the house would be a damp disaster within weeks.

Who invents this rubbish?

brightncheerful wrote:A
As far as I am concerned, the light bulbs belong to me.

Am I right in thinking that when I sell the property I can if I want remove the low energy light bulbs and either leave no bulbs or as a courtesy replace them with ordinary bulbs?

In Germany you don't even get the light fittings - just bare wires ! Ditto taps!

didds

As a Buyer I would expect what is identified on the EPC and Fixtures and Fittings List.

There seems little point in me buying a property with a specific energy rating achieved with e.g. low energy lamps and 300mm of loft insulation if, when I take possession, those features are not present.

It's an interesting question which I hadn't considered before but I suspect most people in basic houses wouldn't bother to complain about a few missing/ wvrong light bulbs.

Thank you.

Having spoken with an EPC professional, I gather that an EPC is only valid as at the date of the inspection for the EPC (ie, the date on the EPC). Therefore, if a buyer were concerned that the property might not commend the same rating then before exchange of contracts the buyer should commission another EPC as a check.

So if I remove the low energy lights and replace them with ordinary bulbs that's perfectly in order - provided of course the buyer is informed of the alteration to what the buyer sees before exchange of contracts.

I'm told too that as people generally aren't bothered about EPCs, some developers of new property are prone to maximising the spec to get the highest rating they can for marketing purposes and then remove things after a sale has been agreed subject to contract.

As a Buyer I would expect what is identified on the EPC and Fixtures and Fittings List.

I've clarified the EPC rating effective date above. As for fixtures and fittings, that's a separate issue.

brightncheerful wrote:As far as I am concerned, the light bulbs belong to me.

Am I right in thinking that when I sell the property I can if I want remove the low energy light bulbs and either leave no bulbs or as a courtesy replace them with ordinary bulbs?

You are Mr Thorn and I claim my £5

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivI6oLN09o0

Will you be taking the roses from the garden too?

Will you be taking the roses from the garden too?

If I were to then the neighbour would have something about that!