Energy Performance Certificates
Q. What is an EPC and Why do I need one?
A. Whenever a property is built, sold or rented out, the law states that it must have a current EPC. You cannot sell or let a home without an EPC in place. For Landlords there are further restrictions as the property must conform to MEES (Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards) and the property rating must be at least an E. (Please note that MEES is currently undergoing debate as to whether this will raised from E to C rating). The EPC has now been upgraded to SAP10 and is a much more involved survey than it used to be - this now takes longer and also costs more to produce..
Q. What does the EPC show?
A. The EPC takes a snapshot of your home’s current Energy Efficiency and looks at the whole fabric of the building. Wall, floor, glazing and roof construction is recorded, along with your current heating and insulation levels. Once this has been formulated, it is put into the RdSAP software to give an Energy Rating of between A and G. The nearer your rating to an A, then the more efficient it is.
Q. How long does it take and what does it involve?
A. A typical EPC will take around an hour, depending on the size of the house and number of extensions. A floorplan of the property has to be produced and access to gas and electric meters, loft and all heating elements are required. As part of the new EPC upgrade to SAP10, the EPC is now become a little more involved in order to make it more accurate. From now onwards, we will also have to record window sizes and orientation, LED, CFL and standard lightbulbs and identify and record all ventilation systems as well as data collection for open fireplaces, chimneys, extract fans, passive stacks etc. This will unfortunately mean more time onsite and back at the office which inevitably pushes up the cost of an EPC.
Q. How soon can it be done?
A. EPC’s are typically carried out within 48 hours.
Q. How can I make my EPC look better?
A. The EPC is a snapshot of what is visible. Install low energy light bulbs in all light fittings, and if you have had cavity wall insulation installed or other energy efficient home improvements carried out that cannot be seen, keep any certificates as these can also be recorded.
Certificates Number ECMK303460 and QUID211097
Trustmark Licence number 2006104