EPCs

Energy Performance Certificates give an energy efficiency rating to a property.

When are EPCs needed?

If you are selling or letting your property out it is a legal requirement to have an EPC done. This will tell the prospective buyer or tenant how energy efficient the property is and how much they can expect to have to spend on their annual energy bills.

You will also need an EPC if you are planning on installing renewable technologies such as solar panels as you will only be able to claim financial incentives from the government if your property meets a minimum level of energy efficiency.

EPCs are also needed in other cases, such as for households applying for free energy efficiency measures through government schemes like the Energy Company Obligation or if you just want to know how efficient your house is and what could be done to improve it.

 

What information does an EPC provide?

An EPC provides information on:

• The energy efficiency band of the property. Houses are ranked from A (lowest energy costs / most energy efficient) to G (highest energy costs /least energy efficient).

• A summary of the characteristics of the property that influence it’s energy rating (e.g. levels of insulation and types of windows, heating and lighting).

• Measures that could be taken to improve the energy efficiency of the property (and the costs and expected savings from these measures).

 

How is an EPC produced?

We will come and do a survey of your property which will:

• Take up to one hour

• Involve looking at all aspects of the property that influence its energy use

• Involve looking at your heating system and require access to all rooms of the property

• Require access to the loft (but we will provide our own ladder)

• Involve measuring the floor area of the property and taking photographs of key elements that influence energy efficiency.

• NOT involve lifting carpets or moving furniture.

 

We will then take the information away and enter it into a computer program which automatically generates your EPC.

Please note that an EPC lasts 10 years. You can look to see if there is already an existing EPC for your property by searching the national database by postcode: https://www.epcregister.com/home.html