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What is an EPC Certificate & do I need one?

What is an EPC Certificate? An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) is a certificate that assesses the energy efficiency of a property. The certificate contains useful information such as; the projected cost of bills, the level of insulation, and suggestions for…

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What is an EPC Certificate?

An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) is a certificate that assesses the energy efficiency of a property. The certificate contains useful information such as; the projected cost of bills, the level of insulation, and suggestions for improvements that could made to the property which could improve its energy performance.

An EPC certificate is valid for 10 years unless significant alterations to the property are made, or it is put on the market.

 

Who needs an EPC?

The government have stated that EPC’s are required for every property that is:

  • Built
  • Sold
  • Let

An EPC assessment must be completed before a property is marketed to sell or let. There are some exceptions to the rule, for example, places of worship, industrial sites, workshops, and agricultural buildings that do not use a lot of energy. Holiday and residential buildings that are being used for less than 4 months of the year are also exempt.

What happens in an EPC Assessment?

A qualified EPC assessor will need to be able to access the whole property, including the roof space, in order to complete the assessment accurately. They will be looking at a range of different factors to determine how energy efficient the home is. All of these factors are then combined to give you your overall rating.

Examples of the areas included within an EPC assessment are:

  • The size, age, and construction of your property
  • What insulation is at the property, is there cavity wall or loft insulation already installed?
  • Are there any energy saving or low watt bulbs in use?
  • Are the windows double glazed?
  • Primary heating systems – the boiler and controls.
  • Are there any secondary heat sources being used, including renewable sources?

Once all areas have been assessed, calculations are made to give the property’s EPC rating. It will also provide advice on how to improve the rating to make it more efficient and less costly. The certificate is made available online.

What does an EPC tell me?

An EPC will give you information about the property’s energy use and typical energy costs – it’s energy efficiency rating. The rating run from ‘A’ to ‘G’, with A being the most energy efficient. The EPC will tell you not only what rating it currently falls into, but also its potential rating. It will suggest some simple things that you can do to improve the efficiency of the property, it could be as simple as switching to energy efficient lightbulbs,  or adding some insulation to the loft. Other, potentially more costly measures, such as changing windows or adding solar panels may be included, but these are all suggestions and there is no obligation to act on them.

How can I use an EPC?

If you are buying a property, then looking at the EPC can give you an insight into how much the property is likely to cost to run as well as giving you information on the changes you could make to ensure the property is more efficient. This is useful information if you are budgeting the affordability of the move. However, it is easy to take these certificates out of context. If you are buying an older property, then the rating is likely to be lower due to the materials it was built with, but this doesn’t mean it’s not as efficient as possible for the type of property it is.

You can check on the government website if you need to renew before you put your home on the market.

If you want to rent your property, then the same applies, you must have a current EPC when renting your property or starting a new tenancy. There are also new minimum energy efficiency standards (MEES)  that must be met for rental properties. A property cannot be rented out if it falls below band ‘E’ on its EPC.

How do I get an EPC?

Before you decide to book an EPC you should always check that the company you are instructing have fully qualified domestic energy assessors. You can check for qualified EPC assessors in your area by looking at the government EPC register to give you the peace of mind that you have instructed professionals.

Avery & Co have a team of fully qualified and accredited domestic energy assessors available to provide a quality, professional service across the North West and North Wales. Get in touch to find out how we can help.