Landlords, EPC Targets and Protected Windows
Landlords with period stock face a specific bind: the fabric measures that move an EPC most are exactly the ones a conservation area, a listing or a leasehold prevents. Windows are usually where that bind bites hardest.
Why windows are the awkward measure
Loft and cavity insulation are cheap and uncontentious. Solid-wall insulation is expensive and internally disruptive. Windows sit between the two: visible, regulated, and frequently the single measure a planning constraint blocks. Secondary glazing is the route that works when replacement is refused, because the assessment records an improved glazing specification while nothing on the elevation changes.
- Recorded by assessors as a glazing improvement
- Works where replacement is refused or uneconomic
- No external change, so no consent issue in most cases
Sequence the work around tenancies
Our portfolio clients almost always phase by void period. Survey while the property is occupied, manufacture during the notice period, install in the void between tenancies. A typical three-bed terrace is a one-day install, so it does not extend a void at all.
The tenant-retention argument
Cold and noise are two of the most common reasons tenants give notice on otherwise good period properties. A warmer, quieter front bedroom is easier to justify commercially than the EPC number alone, particularly on higher-value lets where churn costs a month's rent plus fees.
Documentation for the file
We supply a written specification stating glass type, cavity, frame and U-value for each opening, which is what an assessor will ask for. Keep it with the property file — it saves an argument at the next assessment.
Frequently asked questions
On its own, usually not — the glazing contribution is real but modest. Combined with loft top-up and heating controls it commonly forms part of a one-band uplift, and it is often the only fabric measure available on protected stock.
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South Yorkshire's specialists in secondary glazing — survey, measure, manufacture and install.