What is an EPC

An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) provides information on a property’s energy use and to give an indication of the typical energy costs. It’s something that must be provided when a property is built, sold or rented. It is the responsibility of the seller or landlord to arrange an EPC and allow prospective buyers or tenants to view it. A house can’t marketed for sale or let without an EPC Certificate. We can arrange an Energy Performance Certificate for you at a cost of £96 + VAT.

It gives potential buyers and tenants an opportunity to explore the costs of gas and electricity for a property before they buy or renAccording to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) almost 40% of the UK’s energy consumption and carbon emissions come from the way our buildings are lit, heated and used. By making even small changes to the energy performance of each building we can help reduce the emissions and environmental impact of our energy usage. Each EPC Certificate will have the current EPC rating of a building and the anticipated rating that could be achieved if changes were made. Bear in mind that by making improvements to your property’s energy performance you could reduce your monthly energy requirements and potentially save money on your energy bills.

Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the property seller or landlord to arrange an EPC to buyers and tenants. An EPC is valid for 10 years and registered to the property. It may be your property already has one registered against it if you bought your property after 2008 (when they were required by law) and are now looking to sell. An EPC certificate can be viewed by anyone (unless the owner has specifically opted out) at the national EPC register. If a seller or landlord fails to provide an Energy Performance Certificate, they could be fined up to £200. If you are looking to buy or rent you should never be charged for an EPC Certificate. It is the sellers and landlords legal obligation to provide one free of charge to you.

If you are renting room out in your house you won’t need one. However, if you are renting a self contained flat with its own access and facilities then an EPC will need to be prepared. If the building you are looking to sell or rent is a listed building, they may be exempt from the requirement to provide an EPC if it is not possible to modify them to be more energy efficient.

There is no fixed fee set by the government. The price of an EPC inspection is dependant on a number of factors such as location, demand, and the size and nature of your property. We can arrange an energy performance certificate on your behalf, but if you’d like to shop around you can search the EPC register and arrange your own inspection.

Ideally you should have the certificate before you put your market your property for sale or rent. You need to at least have the certificate ordered before you put the property on the market.

If you’re not sure if your property has a certificate you can search the EPC National Register

Only authorised and regulated domestic energy assessors can issue your property with an EPC. As Estate Agents we already have a working relationship with assessors and can arrange an inspection for you if you require. Alternatively you can check for accredited assessors in your local area on the government website.

An EPC looks very similar to the energy performance sticker you see when you go to purchase household appliances. The main difference being that it has two columns. The first shows the current energy efficiency, and the second shows what the property could achieve if appropriate changes were made.

The EPC is graded with an energy efficiency rating from A to G. With A meaning the property is well insulated and very energy efficient. Modern homes tend to be rated quite highly due to new building techniques and materials. At the other end of the scale if a property is graded G, it is likely to be a property with no insulation, draughts, and old lighting/electrics.

As a general rule of thumb, older properties that have had no retrofitted energy saving measures implemented will score around a D grade.

If you are a landlord looking to rent a property it must achieve an energy rating of E or above. Landlords face a penalty of up to £4,000 if this minimum energy efficiency standard is not met.

The full report contains more information than the small certificate you might see on a property portal. It will contain

Estimated Energy Costs of running your home

This will give a breakdown of how much it would cost a typical household to heat and power the home. It includes details of where changes can be made, and how much money could be saved should appropriate measures be implemented. It covers different aspects of the property such as Lighting, Heating and Hot Water.

This explains the different ways you can increase the energy efficiency of your home. It will vary for different properties. New builds may only suggest Solar Panels or Solar Water Heaters. Whereas, older properties may suggest cavity wall insulation, double glazing, changes to the heating system etc.

This section gives insight into how energy efficient different aspects of the property are. This can be a useful guide to working out where changes need to be made first.

This will show the assessors recommendations and how they will increase the energy efficiency of the property. The changes are listed in order and are cumulative, meaning all must be completed to reach the final rating.

If you have questions about your EPC they should be directed to the Assessor. Their details can usually be found in the “About this document and the data in it” section of the EPC.

If they cannot resolve your query then contact their accreditation scheme, details of which will also be included in this section.

To book your EPC certificate call our admin department who will be happy to help on 01134878381