Mount Cottage grade 2 listed Renovation

[Stefanino92]

Hi everyone,





I’m new to the forum, so I thought I’d introduce myself. My name is Stefano and my wife and I have decided to move from London to the countryside, specifically to Tenterden.





Today we completed the exchange and we’re getting ready to move next Friday. We’ve just purchased this cottage and we completely fell in love with it the first time we saw it. To be honest, although I’ve tried to gather as much information as possible about how listed buildings work, this is our first experience owning this type of property – and especially a cottage like this.





The house needs almost a full renovation as it has been unoccupied for quite a long time. For example, it currently has no heating system at all, no gas, and no insulation. The EPC rating is G, so there is clearly a lot of work to be done. I’ve attached a few photos so you can see the property.





Of course, we also commissioned a Level 3 survey, which confirmed what I more or less expected: there are quite a few things that need addressing.





What I’d really like to ask those of you who have much more experience than me is: where should we start? What would you consider the absolute priorities, and what are the things that could potentially wait?





In my mind, the first step would be to properly insulate the house and improve the EPC rating. Since the property hasn’t been heated for years, a bit of mould has appeared in one area, although thankfully nothing too serious.





I’d really appreciate any advice or suggestions, and thank you in advance for your help.

 

[jamest]

Hello there Stefano, a very nice little place you've got yourself there. I know Tenderden quite well as my parents lived close by and used to shop at the Tenterden Waitrose. I don't recognise the house, which I assume is out in the immediately surrounding countryside.

It looks to be the standard Kentish style with the exterior walls hung with clay tiles. It definitely looks unmodernised, which is a good thing as the original lime and wattle-and-daub infill panels could be intact and so damp issues won't be a problem once you get the heating sorted.

The place will be very cold as the walls will be thin, say 10-15 cm thick (whether wattle and daub or brick) and this will present a problem. Since the place is listed, it will be difficult to get the local authority to approve any serious efforts to insulate the external walls. Doubly so if the original wattle and daub is intact. That vaulted attic room looks uninsulated as well, it will be freezing, but permission to insulate might be easier to obtain given that the current boarding is certainly not original. Any attic space that's not habitable can be insulated with a suitable material in the usual way without listed buildings consent (but make sure that there's ventilation up there)

Initially your best bet would be to secondary glaze the windows, which look to be single glazed. It will be very difficult to get approval to replace them with double glazed units (probably impossible if they're in good condition). You can DIY install perspex glazing with magnetic strips quite cheaply - that's what I've done on my single glazing and it makes a real difference and is remarkably unobtrusive - I hardly notice it. I also used it to triple glaze my slimline double glazed units, again to good effect. I would also consider draft proofing the exterior doors and installing portiere curtains.

Anyway, without more information about what needs doing, I can't say much more except that any works that involve alteration of the original fabric (and aren't like for like repairs) will definitely require listed buildings consent (though you can rip that kitchen out and replace it without consent). You should probably have a discussion with your local Conservation Officer (CO) about what you would like to do/achieve, they should be able to give advice. Sometimes it can be help to employ an architect or similar who has experience with listed buildings in the area to specify the works and help with consents (though that can add significantly to the costs, which you'd probably want to avoid).

There are lots of well informed people on this site with lots of experience dealing with COs and using appropriate materials who are usually happy to offer whatever advice they can to a new owner (or even an old one).

 

[jamest]

I thought I'd be nosey and see if it's still listed on Rightmove and sure enough, there it is. I see it's in Rolvenlden Layne - I've been to the Ewe and Lamb - would have been nearly 20 years ago though! I also recommend the Three Chimneys between Sissinghurst and Biddenden. We really loved that place when about 18 years old - but that was a lot, lot longer ago than a mere 20 years!

I noticed a couple of things: the kitchen and bathroom look to be in a single storey extension to the rear. Looks to be early or mid 20th century. Might be possible to insulate that bit without too much hassle (though it is rather narrow for IWI).

In the photo of the sitting room (the second one that you've supplied), the wall opposite the fireplace seems to have been overboarded - it looks thicker than the timber framed walls (assuming it is original and not just rebuilt) and there are no visible timbers. If it were me, I would be checking that wall out. Is the original timber framed wall still there hiding behind boards or has it been rebuilt? If the former, then I'd be getting the boards off and inspecting the timber frame (it looks in good condition everywhere else, where you can see it).

 

[Stefanino92]

I thought I'd be nosey and see if it's still listed on Rightmove and sure enough, there it is. I see it's in Rolvenlden Layne - I've been to the Ewe and Lamb - would have been nearly 20 years ago though! I also recommend the Three Chimneys between Sissinghurst and Biddenden. We really loved that place when about 18 years old - but that was a lot, lot longer ago than a mere 20 years!

I noticed a couple of things: the kitchen and bathroom look to be in a single storey extension to the rear. Looks to be early or mid 20th century. Might be possible to insulate that bit without too much hassle (though it is rather narrow for IWI).

In the photo of the sitting room (the second one that you've supplied), the wall opposite the fireplace seems to have been overboarded - it looks thicker than the timber framed walls (assuming it is original and not just rebuilt) and there are no visible timbers. If it were me, I would be checking that wall out. Is the original timber framed wall still there hiding behind boards or has it been rebuilt? If the former, then I'd be getting the boards off and inspecting the timber frame (it looks in good condition everywhere else, where you can see it).

Hey, thanks so much for your reply. No problem at all for peeking at the house I’ll definitely go to the pub you recommended — it looks really nice and the food seems great too.





As soon as we get the keys to the house next week, I’ll check everything more carefully before starting to plan the work. But if I can tell you what I have in mind, you can tell me if I’m crazy or not





First of all, I’d obviously like to insulate the walls and the loft as well as possible. Then I’ll need to do some repairs to the roof. The surveyor recommended replacing it, but at the moment I can’t afford a £30k roof. We have a total initial budget of about £80k, so I have to manage it carefully





Then I’d like to install a heat pump so we can also get the £7.5k government grant, and if possible install underfloor heating as well. At the same time, I’d like to find out if it’s possible to connect to the main sewer, because at the moment there’s a septic tank which is also in pretty bad condition (that’s what the surveyor told us).





We’ll need to redo the two bathrooms — one of them is really very small — redo the electrical system, and sort out the windows because even if I manage to get permission to replace them, I think it would cost a lot of money. So I was thinking of refurbishing them and seeing how it goes while keeping the single glazing, and maybe reconsider in the future.





Then fix the front door because it doesn’t open properly, install new flooring over the underfloor heating, fill and paint the walls, and install a new kitchen.





That’s about it… hopefully we’ll manage to do all of this little by little. Am I being too optimistic?

 

[G2-SSSI-NNR-RHPG]

Welcome to the journey that will take far longer than you think it will. Expect the unexpected, but as my partner keeps reminding me, enjoy the journey. It is a wonderful looking house. Use your local authority planning portal to see how listed building consents get passed (or not) in your area. You will get a good idea of what is favoured and not. It will also give you a good idea of who (CIOB, architect, architectural technician, planning consultant etc.) is worth engaging for any LBC work. As @jamest mentions, get the Built Heritage / Conservation Officer involved, they can be a powerful ally (or otherwise). Your journey is going to be very similar to ours with very different houses despite both being oak frame.

 

[fernicarry]

Then I’ll need to do some repairs to the roof. The surveyor recommended replacing it,

Take what surveyors say with a large pinch of salt. They operate mainly in CYA mode and will fill volumes with doom and gloom about all the stuff that's out in the open whilst telling you nothing about whats hiding below the surface as @jamest alludes to. Its a very pretty cottage and the slightly wonky roof really sets it off. Be a shame to lose all that character. Live in it for a bit and let it tell you what it needs.

Just a word of warning you are unlikely to get to the levels of thermal performance needed to make a HP viable. By all means do what you can to improve it but you probably want to be looking at a combustion boiler instead. Is it on mains gas? Seems to be a bit rural so maybe not. What does the EPC report say you can do to get to a C? From G to C is quite an epic improvement so some of it could be fantasy.

All the rest sounds perfectly doable if you are handy. And if you aren't then you soon will be! Let us know how you progress.

I still remember many years ago 3 generations of us traveling down from the east end of London to Tenterden by public transport to have a go on the K&ESR.

 

[Alex_]

Then I’d like to install a heat pump so we can also get the £7.5k government grant, and if possible install underfloor heating as well. At the same time, I’d like to find out if it’s possible to connect to the main sewer, because at the moment there’s a septic tank which is also in pretty bad condition (that’s what the surveyor told us).

Beautiful house. It doesn't look like you have any existing central heating and is that a storage heater? An air to water heat pump is likely to be difficult and expensive to fit given everything would have to be done. I'm a bit of an evangelist for air to air systems which are much easier to install, and if you can get a battery and a dual rate tariff electric heating can be pretty cheap. Obviously planning permission may be an issue if you're listed.
tbh, I reckon if you get that stove serviced and if it's usable burning it hot throughout winter would probably do a lot to keep the edge off. Order your wood supply now so it's nice and dry for October

 

[Stefanino92]

Take what surveyors say with a large pinch of salt. They operate mainly in CYA mode and will fill volumes with doom and gloom about all the stuff that's out in the open whilst telling you nothing about whats hiding below the surface as @jamest alludes to. Its a very pretty cottage and the slightly wonky roof really sets it off. Be a shame to lose all that character. Live in it for a bit and let it tell you what it needs.

Just a word of warning you are unlikely to get to the levels of thermal performance needed to make a HP viable. By all means do what you can to improve it but you probably want to be looking at a combustion boiler instead. Is it on mains gas? Seems to be a bit rural so maybe not. What does the EPC report say you can do to get to a C? From G to C is quite an epic improvement so some of it could be fantasy.

All the rest sounds perfectly doable if you are handy. And if you aren't then you soon will be! Let us know how you progress.

I still remember many years ago 3 generations of us traveling down from the east end of London to Tenterden by public transport to have a go on the K&ESR.

Thanks for your reply!

In fact, I didn’t really give much consideration to my surveyor, to be honest .

Anyway, at the moment the house isn’t directly connected to gas, but I checked with SGN and for £3.8k they can connect me directly to the gas network because there is full availability. I’ve already received the go-ahead if I want to proceed. I’m just torn about this point: a gas boiler or a heat pump. Do you think a heat pump wouldn’t be enough to heat the house properly?

Anyway, yes, I saw the list of works needed to bring it up to EPC C, and I think it’s very difficult, but getting it to EPC D would already make me satisfied for now. Step by step.

 

[larry]

Thanks for your reply!

In fact, I didn’t really give much consideration to my surveyor, to be honest .

Anyway, at the moment the house isn’t directly connected to gas, but I checked with SGN and for £3.8k they can connect me directly to the gas network because there is full availability. I’ve already received the go-ahead if I want to proceed. I’m just torn about this point: a gas boiler or a heat pump. Do you think a heat pump wouldn’t be enough to heat the house properly?

Anyway, yes, I saw the list of works needed to bring it up to EPC C, and I think it’s very difficult, but getting it to EPC D would already make me satisfied for now. Step by step.

The issue with heat pumps is you need lower flow temperatures than a gas/oil boiler can manage. Which means bigger radiators. Given what you're describing about the house, and single pane glass on your windows, I would imagine the necessary size of your rads would be in the "pretty mega" category. And then of course a suitably sized heat pump that can get to that heat.
The EPC process is a farce and makes lots of assumptions that don't fit old houses. So don't set that as your north star. Obvs thermal efficiency is very desirable but the accounting process used is a mess (mine says I have cavity walls, and I don't).

The advice above to try to live with it for a while, maybe the first year, without doing things other than jobs which are firmly not going to need to be undone or redone to then do other jobs, is very good advice. Get to know the house first before launching in too deep. It would not be surprising to find an unexpected issue which needs more of that pot of ££ than you had expected.

 

[jamest]

Yeah, if you get permission to replace the windows (which you probably won't if the ones already there are in good condition), then they'll be wanting the new windows in hardwood with slimline double glazing at best. The previous owner of my place had such permission for the majority of the windows - all hardwood with slimline DG, cost him a small fortune. Slimline DG isn't as efficient as regular thickness DG and if you get it argon filled with low emissivity glass, that doubles the cost! Like I said, perspex magnetically fixed secondary glazing works a treat and is almost invisible. I would post some pictures, but you wouldn't be able to see anything, it really is that good!

Like others have said, a heat pump won't be very efficient if the place is not well insulated. Is that a problem? In your case, not really because you're not replacing a gas boiler, so you're not trying to recoup the cost. In a well insulated property, a HP's SCOP would be between 4 and 5, making it much more efficient than a gas boiler and cheaper to run. In yours, you'd probably be looking at a SCOP not much better than half that, between 2 and 3, which would make it about the same price to run as a gas boiler, possibly a tad more expensive. Not really a problem as the HP install could be cheaper given the grant and no requirement to connect to the gas main.

The radiator size could be an issue with a HP as Larry points out. But the radiator size depends upon the flow temperature. If you're not too worried about your SCOP, then you can run the pump at higher flow temperatures- some HPs are happy to run at up to 60 degrees C. Basically, you can do pretty much anything you like with a HP, just make sure the system's designed properly.

Alternatively, you could use an air to air HP as ALex suggests or a modern storage heater set up, these are much better than the horrible ones they used to install in the 70s. With a night tariff and solar, it might be comparable in cost to a gas boiler and massively cheaper to install - no pipework, no LBC, minimum hassle. In a small house, well worth looking into.

Wet underfloor heating could be a real problem in the old part of the house - maybe possible in the newer kitchen/ground floor bathroom rear extension. Getting permission to do it and dig out the floors in the old part of the house might not be forthcoming. I suppose you could try this stuff: https://www.wundagroup.com/water-underfloor-heating/, no idea if it's any good though.

 

[Kearn]

Unfortunately, a good surveyor would have answered your first question, and discussed a sensible, prioritised schedule of
works. Still worth speaking with them to push the issue, but chances are that they won’t be able to provide you that info…

The simple answer, as you are yet to understand how the building operates and what is wrong, is to live at least four seasons and assess things.

A full heating system will necessitate a lot of understanding of the building, both heat wise and logistically for routing pipe work. Same goes for a full rewire.
In a timber frame, almost all of this will be surface mounted. Ideally this will be scheduled sensibly with any other intrusive major works.
Get connected to gas, scrap the heat pump idea - it isn’t appropriate for a draughty, poorly insulated building. Also forget the government schemes, nothing is free and they will do damage through inappropriate works.

First port of call really, is to get a great conservation timber framer to evaluate the structure of your building. This will form the backbone of conservation, repairs and restoration, in that order. Any other works will hang off of this. Hung tiles can be a great weather barrier, but they can also hide issues.

Timber internally isn’t coated in too much crap which is reassuring, but you need to evaluate the makeup and coverings of panels inside and out, as chances are there will be gypsum, cement, plastic paint and the rest…

Easy stuff to prioritise - roof, rainwater goods, drainage and groundlevels sorted.

Forget the EPC, it’s meaningless for a period property. I’d also be very careful on trying to add insulation, impossible without adding a thick internal insulating lime plaster, over panels and frame. You will lose the aesthetic. More important is to ensure all external wall fabric is dry, therefore insulating not conducting heat. That means fully able to manage moisture and its removal, so lime and limewash / distemper, any modern muck gone. And then be patient for fabric to dry out, it will take many many months.

Windows are a heat sink, secondary Perspex glazing is the answer here. Far cheaper, more efficient and won’t fail like slimline double glazing. And no LBC required. However, thick curtains will get to a long way there, so prioritise that.

All windows opened for at least 10-30 min every single day, to get cross flow and flush the warm moist air out with dry air from outside. Even on a cold day, the air outside is far drier than from within.

Get those woodburners roaring for heat, and hopefully we’re past the worst of the cold now.

Looks like you’ve got some very good bones there to work with, just take your time and make sure you’re not working against the building as many do.

Everything will take a long time, working through your plans and what’s actually needed, finding appropriate trades (too many lately have jumped on the heritage / conservation bandwagon and know nothing, but charge a premium) how to design and schedule, getting permissions… investigate, read up and learn and the building will make it clear to you what’s required.

 

[montyjohn]

Great project.

I'm probably about 4 months ahead of you (but I don't have much to show for it).

For reference, my house is 5/6 bedroom Georgian house, with 8 fireplaces and and an EPC rating of G1. Mouldy and wet so it was rather cheap.

I'd say get the heating sorted out first. Even if it's temporary. As soon as we got the keys, I sent of an LBC preapplication (cost under £200) and listed out all the things we wanted to do. I also listed a few things that I wanted to do as emergency works and the heating system was one of them.

You then wait a long time. It took three months after chasing to get a response.

I had already started with the heating system before I got a response as all we had was a tiny Rayburn feeding a handful of radiators upstairs. I'd guess the flow temp was 35 degrees.

I bought a second hand oil boiler from Facebook and installed that. I then got a phonecall from the CO where we verbally agreed I could surface mount radiators, so all pipes on show as a temporary measure. This meant the house could finally dry out. All followed up by email.

Other works we've been cracking on with include basic repairs like clearing drains, removing wall paper and scraping of plastic paint so the house can dry out.

I also want to go down the ASHP route, but my calcs suggest my heatloss is about 30kw, which is way beyond what a domestic ASHP can handle. I'd need at least two of them. However, since having the Oil boiler, I think I've discovered that the usage suggests heat loss is a lot lower than calculations would suggest. So much a 12kw ASHP might be adequate, I just need to convince an installer of that to get the BUS. I'm going to re-jet my boiler form 32kw down to 25kw, and if it only runs 50% of the time on the coldest days then I'm happy. But might need to wait for next winter now.

I wouldn't bother with double glazing. Heatloss from non leaky windows is pretty small. Your big tickets items are walls and draughts. Draughts can be cheap to fix so prioritise that. Floor and ceiling can also be cheap so may as well. Unless it's solid floors. But if you want underfloor heating look up the Ty Mawr foam glass system. Secondary glazing can be cheap if you avoid the big expensive companies. IWI, very effective but very expensive. Also, with your timber, I think the CO will push back on this as you could be covering up a lot of features. My research is pointing me to use WoodFibre, but opinions vary.

Getting radiators big enough for ASHP isn't all that difficult. The Type 22 or 33 radiators kick out so much heat that it should not be a problem matching your heatloss on low temps if you've gone the basics.

You'll find that getting LBC for everything starts to get silly. Sometimes you just want to make a small electrical or plumbing change. In theory you should check if you need LBC via a pre-app an then apply for LBC if needed. This means most works will have 6 months of paperwork beforehand (possibly more, I've not got that far yet).

After going through the pre-app I have a fair idea of what needs LBC on my house and what doesn't. I will use this as a reference to decide what I apply for an LBC and what I just get on and do without.

 

[Stefanino92]

Great project.

I'm probably about 4 months ahead of you (but I don't have much to show for it).

For reference, my house is 5/6 bedroom Georgian house, with 8 fireplaces and and an EPC rating of G1. Mouldy and wet so it was rather cheap.

I'd say get the heating sorted out first. Even if it's temporary. As soon as we got the keys, I sent of an LBC preapplication (cost under £200) and listed out all the things we wanted to do. I also listed a few things that I wanted to do as emergency works and the heating system was one of them.

You then wait a long time. It took three months after chasing to get a response.

I had already started with the heating system before I got a response as all we had was a tiny Rayburn feeding a handful of radiators upstairs. I'd guess the flow temp was 35 degrees.

I bought a second hand oil boiler from Facebook and installed that. I then got a phonecall from the CO where we verbally agreed I could surface mount radiators, so all pipes on show as a temporary measure. This meant the house could finally dry out. All followed up by email.

Other works we've been cracking on with include basic repairs like clearing drains, removing wall paper and scraping of plastic paint so the house can dry out.

I also want to go down the ASHP route, but my calcs suggest my heatloss is about 30kw, which is way beyond what a domestic ASHP can handle. I'd need at least two of them. However, since having the Oil boiler, I think I've discovered that the usage suggests heat loss is a lot lower than calculations would suggest. So much a 12kw ASHP might be adequate, I just need to convince an installer of that to get the BUS. I'm going to re-jet my boiler form 32kw down to 25kw, and if it only runs 50% of the time on the coldest days then I'm happy. But might need to wait for next winter now.

I wouldn't bother with double glazing. Heatloss from non leaky windows is pretty small. Your big tickets items are walls and draughts. Draughts can be cheap to fix so prioritise that. Floor and ceiling can also be cheap so may as well. Unless it's solid floors. But if you want underfloor heating look up the Ty Mawr foam glass system. Secondary glazing can be cheap if you avoid the big expensive companies. IWI, very effective but very expensive. Also, with your timber, I think the CO will push back on this as you could be covering up a lot of features. My research is pointing me to use WoodFibre, but opinions vary.

Getting radiators big enough for ASHP isn't all that difficult. The Type 22 or 33 radiators kick out so much heat that it should not be a problem matching your heatloss on low temps if you've gone the basics.

You'll find that getting LBC for everything starts to get silly. Sometimes you just want to make a small electrical or plumbing change. In theory you should check if you need LBC via a pre-app an then apply for LBC if needed. This means most works will have 6 months of paperwork beforehand (possibly more, I've not got that far yet).

After going through the pre-app I have a fair idea of what needs LBC on my house and what doesn't. I will use this as a reference to decide what I apply for an LBC and what I just get on and do without.

Hey @montyjohn
Thank you for your reply.
In any case, we were also thinking of starting by insulating the walls and the loft as the first step and installing a heating system. I saw through SGN that I can connect to the gas network, and it’s also quite affordable. Then I would install a boiler and proceed with the heating system. At the same time, we would also redo the electrical system, which is very old and not up to standard.
On the ground floor the floor is simply a concrete screed, and on the upper floor there are the original wooden boards, with no type of flooring ever installed on top. We would like to install parquet throughout the whole house.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I read that for urgent works you don’t need to wait for approval before starting. The question I have is: who decides whether a job is considered “urgent”?

 

[montyjohn]

Correct me if I’m wrong, but I read that for urgent works you don’t need to wait for approval before starting. The question I have is: who decides whether a job is considered “urgent”?

If not doing the work is a risk to the occupants or the property then it's emergency works.
You can make this decision.

But the CO may disagree. And may tell you to stop work. Or reverse it. You need to inform them as soon as possible.

This is why I included it in the preapp expecting them to respond on the emergency works fairly quickly. They didn't.

 

[paulc]

I also want to go down the ASHP route, but my calcs suggest my heatloss is about 30kw, which is way beyond what a domestic ASHP can handle. I'd need at least two of them. However, since having the Oil boiler, I think I've discovered that the usage suggests heat loss is a lot lower than calculations would suggest. So much a 12kw ASHP might be adequate, I just need to convince an installer of that to get the BUS. I'm going to re-jet my boiler form 32kw down to 25kw, and if it only runs 50% of the time on the coldest days then I'm happy. But might need to wait for next winter now.

I've been wanting to know just how much heat is needed to warm up this place (a late 1920s 3 bed semi). Stuck a heat meter on the boiler, and much of the time, only need 4-5kWh. That 30kW boiler is an overkill for me, although I do need the extra power to heat the hot water.
It might be worth sticking a heat meter on your oil boiler and log the data. That way, you should be able to work out fairly quickly if your 12kW estimate is close.

 

[Toolmaker25]

I’ll throw in that this is my neck of the woods! I had this house on my shortlist for sometime. We never went to look at it as I doubted I would fit and it’s far too much work for me to take on and manage.

The house I'm progressing a purchase on isn’t far from there at all!

 

[Alex_]

Anyway, at the moment the house isn’t directly connected to gas, but I checked with SGN and for £3.8k they can connect me directly to the gas network because there is full availability. I’ve already received the go-ahead if I want to proceed. I’m just torn about this point: a gas boiler or a heat pump. Do you think a heat pump wouldn’t be enough to heat the house properly?

Anyway, yes, I saw the list of works needed to bring it up to EPC C, and I think it’s very difficult, but getting it to EPC D would already make me satisfied for now. Step by step

An air to air heat pump would use far less energy than either gas or air to water if your property is poorly insulated as you only need it on when you need heat (or cooling) and it's practically instant in its ability to warm up a room. Besides gas is on its way out, there will be no government support for cheaper gas in the medium-long term and chances are in 10 years when you need a new boiler they will cost a lot more in relative terms than they do now.

 

[fernicarry]

would use far less energy than either gas or air to water if your property is poorly insulated

The energy needed to heat the building is the same regardless of how its produced. It may well heat up the air in the room more quickly but it'll cool down just as quickly due to not having heated up the fabric of the building. Depends on what suits your pattern of occupation and the prevailing climate. Hot air heating can be pretty unpleasant to live with as internal air quality can be poor.

I do worry somewhat about the longevity of gas as a fuel but lets face it even the most optimistic estimates mean its not going away soon. Whether we will be able afford it given regularly occurring geopolitical events is a different question but the price of electricity has stayed conspicuously high too.

 

[a twig]

Right now if I had a spare £25-30k to spend on the house I'd be seriously considering solar electric, power wall and electric heating (either radiant or storage)

 

[fernicarry]

Its sobering to consider that the off-peak tariff rate for the storage heaters I recently installed (in another property) is about the same as the *peak* rate was not that many years ago.