We spoke to William Grafton, a chartered surveyor, about the full design of his energy efficient home. He goes into detail about what he did to achieve his EPC rating of A and the impact it has on his day-to-day life.
With the UK government's 2050 net zero target inching closer1, it's more important than ever before to take the necessary steps to improving your energy efficiency and EPC rating. Here's how William did it.
1. Is your home a new build or retrofitted to achieve such a high EPC rating?
Our home is a new build 280m2 (c3,000sq ft) timber frame, built in 2004 with energy efficiency in mind at the time. It also has 4kW solar panels retrofitted under FIT in 2011.
I’m a chartered building surveyor and wanted an energy efficient and comfortable house to live in.
2. What are the elements that make your home so energy efficient?
The property has high levels of insulation in all building envelope elements. This includes:
- The roof – 200mm Rockwool quilt between rafters, 40mm Kingspan foil-faced rigid board beneath plasterboard
- Walls - 100mm Rockwool quilt in wall panels, 40mm Kingspan foil-faced rigid board beneath plasterboard
- Ground Floor – thermal blocks to block and beam structural floor, 100mm polystyrene insulation, underfloor heating embedded in screed
- Windows and doors – double-glazed, argon filled bespoke units throughout
- Boiler – Worcester Bosch A-rated boiler feeding UFH on GFL and radiators at 1FL
- 4kW Panasonic solar panels & SMA Sunny Boy inverters
3. What are the convenience and comfort factors?
We only need to put the heating on between December and February, though we do have an AGA and a wood burning stove if needed. The ambient heat from under floor heating also gives the property a steady warmth during winter.
4. Are there any savings on bills?
Until the Ukraine crisis, the FIT paid for all gas, electric, water and phone costs. As of February 2022, it was £1,800 per annum for a 3,000sq ft large 4-bed home.
5. Can you share any more details about the build or any retrofitting?
I designed and project managed the build from start to finish, so I built the property in with energy efficiency in mind.
This also means that I have the full build specs and drawings if anything ever needed changing or updating.
William's home is designed and built with sustainability in mind, and his EPC rating reflects that. With careful thought and consideration, he was able to design a house that supports his family's needs, helps him save money each year on energy, and offers a space that is comfortable and relaxing.
Resources and references:
Important information
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
There may be a fee for mortgage advice. The actual amount you pay will depend on your circumstances. The fee is up to 1% but a typical fee is 0.3% of the amount borrowed.
What does retrofitting mean?
What does a sustainable home look like?
