Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) are required by law whenever a property is advertised for sale or rent (subject to exceptions e.g. listed buildings).
You can arrange for the EPC and floorplans with https://www.nichecom.co.uk/ for you giving you one less thing to worry about. Once ordered our local Domestic Energy Assessor will contact you within a couple of days to arrange a suitable time to assess your property.
All “reasonable efforts” must be made to ensure that an EPC is obtained within 7 days of marketing the property. (Where it has not been secured during that period, there is an absolute duty to obtain it within 21 days of the end of that period.)
What is an EPC?
An EPC gives Home Owners, Tenants and prospective buyers an assessment of a property performance rating in terms of its energy efficiency and environmental impact, to help reduce CO2 output.
EPCs assess buildings by giving them a standard energy and carbon emission efficiency grade from ‘A’ to ‘G’, where ‘A’ is the best and with the average to date being D/E.
EPC’s were originally part of the Home information pack (HIP), however the requirement for a HIP was suspended on 21 May 2010. The energy performance certificate was retained.
What can impact an EPC
A Domestic Energy Assessor will inspect a home before preparing the Energy Performance Certificate. The EPC contains information about:
a) The property’s energy use and typical energy costs
b) Recommendations about how to reduce energy use and save money
The EPC gives a property an energy efficiency rating from A (most efficient) to G (least efficient) and is valid for 10 years. The average score (sept 2014) is a low D/ high E.
How can I improve our Energy Efficiency Rating?
Prior to the assessment being carried out at your property, there are a number of simple and significant alterations that you may choose to implement in order to ensure that you receive the best rating possible.
Though you are less likely to benefit from or receive a return on your investment against the more significant alterations, remember these can be implemented in your new home and you may get a better price for this one so either way it’s a win win situation.
LIGHTING
Replace existing halogen or non-Low Energy Lighting (LEL) with LEL’s, Compact Fluorescent Light’s (CFL) or Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) – simple and inexpensive to introduce.
ROOF INSULATION
Ensure that your loft insulation is at least 8 to 10 inches in depth – simple and inexpensive to introduce.
WALL CONSTRUCTION
If your property has a cavity wall construction, ensure that this is filled – simple and inexpensive to introduce. Funding may also be available as an efficiency measure it has a significant bearing on the EPC rating.
HEATING CONTROLS
Even if you have an old boiler, the introduction of modern controls such as a room thermostat, individual Thermostatic Radiator Valves (TRVs) and Boiler Programmer will have a positive bearing on the EPC results – simple but slightly more expensive to introduce. On older buildings consider movement detectors to operate valves to close off area’s that are not in constant use.
CENTRAL HEATING SYSTEM
Replacing an old, inefficient boiler will have a significant impact on any property’s EPC rating – significant alteration with high expense and longer payback period. Use as much pipe lagging as you can in the basement and other utility areas where you do not want the heat.
RENEWABLE TECHNOLOGIES
These cover a wide range of systems and technologies ranging from Solar / Photovoltaic panels, which generate hot water and electricity through to Bio-Mass boilers and ground source heat pumps that replace conventional central heating systems but can be up to 20X more efficient – significant alterations with a much higher expenditure, however virtually ALL Renewable Technologies are currently incentivised via government backed and guaranteed Feed-in-Tariffs (FITs) and will go on to provide domestic hot water and central heating at significantly reduced rates in comparison to many other systems.