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Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)
Why do I need an Energy Performance Certificate?
You will need an Energy Performance Certificate if you are selling your house after the 1st August 2007. The Energy Performance Certificate is a compulsory component of the Home Information Pack which every 4 bed house being sold after 1st August 2007 and every 3 bed house being sold after 10th September 2007 will require before being marketed for sale.
Will the price of my house be effected?
The performance rating of your property should not directly affect the price of your house. It is designed as a guide for potential purchaser of the energy costs of running your property so they can compare similar properties. Although when two very similar properties are being marketed at the same price and one has a better rate energy performance rating than the other it will naturally be more attractive to the potential purchaser and possibly attract a higher sale price.
What happens to Energy Performance Certificates once they're complete?
All domestic Energy Performance Certificates are lodged in a central database. Energy Assessors (through their Accreditation Schemes) lodge them as they produce them, and each is given a unique reference number. Access to the database is restricted, so only those who have the unique reference number can access the certificate for a particular property.
How long is an Energy Performance Certificate valid for?
Every time a property is marketed for sale it will require a new energy performance certificate. If a property is taken off the market and then put back on within a 12 month period the energy performance certificate will still be valid provided no changes have been made to the property. Or 10 years from the date of the original certificate’s inception date whichever is sooner.
Not all buildings are used in the same way. However, energy ratings use 'standard occupancy' assumptions, which might be different from the specific way you use your building. What different methods of calculation are used for homes and for other buildings?
All the methodologies used to produce Energy Performance Certificates consider factors such as the size, age, location of a building, and how it's heated, lit and insulated.
For domestic homes, the method used is called Reduced Data Standard Assessment Procedure (RdSAP)
What is the average Energy Performance rating?
There is no average as each certificate is specific to the property. However, all new homes must be built to an Energy Performance Rating of B.
Can I improve the energy performance rating?
Yes - generally the performance rating can be improved by a few points very easily without significant cost. The EPC gives you advice which can show you how to improve your rating.
How can I get an Energy Performance Certificate?
An Energy Performance Certificate can be commissioned as a standalone document or, more commonly, as part of a Home Information Pack.