From 1 October 2008 all properties - homes, commercial and public buildings - when bought, sold, built or rented will need an EPC. Larger public buildings will also need to display an energy certificate. This work is part of European legislation - the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive - which all member states must adopt.

Energy Performance Certificate

Energy Performance Certificates tell you how energy efficient a home is on a scale of A-G. The most efficient homes - which should have the lowest fuel bills - are in band A. The Certificate also tells you, on a scale of A-G, about the impact the home has on the environment. Better-rated homes should have less impact through carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The average property in the UK is in bands D-E for both ratings. The Certificate includes recommendations on ways to improve the home's energy efficiency to save you money and help the environment. Most sellers of newly built homes will have to provide a predicted assessment of the energy efficiency of the property, but a full Energy Performance Certificate should be provided to the buyer when the home is completed.



Why is the certificate important?

An Energy Performance Certificate is part of a Home Information Pack.
The certificates are commissioned by the seller (or their agent) from an accredited Energy Assessor, who visits the property to collect the relevant data and creates the certificate. This data includes the date, construction and location of the house and relevant fittings (heating systems, insulation or double glazing, for example).
Nearly 40 per cent of the UK's energy consumption arises from the way in which our 25 million buildings are lit, heated and used. Even comparatively minor changes in energy performance and the way we use each building will have a significant effect in reducing energy consumption - and therefore carbon emissions. Communities and Local Government is leading the introduction of a number of energy and cost-saving measures to make all buildings more efficient. These measures are being applied across all European Union countries and are in line with the European Directive for the Energy Performance of Buildings. The Energy Performance Certificate is part of these new measures to improve property efficiency. It will include suggestions to enable homeowners to improve the energy efficiency of the building. This can mean lower energy bills for the occupiers, and could make homes more attractive to potential purchasers. The certificate will also provide contact details for the Energy Savings Trust who can help you find out whether you could be eligible for grants or discounts to help carry out these improvements to your home. It will also list simple ways that changes in behaviour can save you energy and money - without the need for any works.
Energy Savings Trust 0845 7277200
www.energysavingtrust.org.uk


Frequently asked questions

Q: What happens to Energy Performance Certificates once they're complete?
A: 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.

Q: 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?
A: 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.

Q: How can I get an Energy Performance Certificate?
A: Call our office and we will be delighted to send out one our inspectors to carry out and inspection - 0208 492 0077 An Energy Performance Certificate can be commissioned as a standalone document or, more commonly, as part of a Home Information Pack.

Q: What the Certificate means?
A: The Energy Performance Certificate is similar to the certificates now provided with domestic appliances such as refrigerators and washing machines.
Its purpose is to record how energy-efficient a property is as a building. The certificate will provide a rating of the property from A to G, where A is very efficient and G is very inefficient.
Two ratings are shown. The environmental impact rating is a measure of a home's impact on the environment in terms of carbon dioxide (C02) emissions - the higher the rating, the less impact it has on the environment. The energy-efficiency rating is a measure of a home's overall efficiency. The higher the rating, the more energy-efficient the home is, and the lower the fuel bills are likely to be. Each rating is based on the performance of the building itself and its services (such as heating and lighting), rather than the domestic appliances within it. This is known as an asset rating. The certificate also lists the potential rating of the building if all the cost-effective measures were installed.
The ratings will vary according to the age, location, size and condition of the building. The potential rating on the certificate will take these factors into account, and the suggested measures will be tailored so that they are realistic for the particular building.

Q: Who is responsible for obtaining an Energy Performance Certificate?
A: For buildings that are to be sold, the building's owner will be responsible for ensuring a certificate is available; this should be shown, on request, to any prospective purchaser, and should in any case be provided by the owner to the ultimate purchaser before a contract for sale is made.

Q: What are the benefits to me as a landlord?
A: The energy rating can help rent out your property. They indicate to a prospective buyer or tenant how energy efficient your home is. It should also provide information that may help to reduce the running cost of the property.

Q: Will Energy Performance Certificates be required for rented accommodation?
A: Yes. The EU requires that Energy Performance Certificates will need to be provided for all buildings when they are constructed, sold or rented.

Q: What happens if my home gets a low rating?
A: This simply indicates your home could be more energy efficient. During the inspection a number of recommendations to improve the energy efficiency will be identified. Implementation of these could not only increase your rating and reduce carbon emissions but also save money on energy bills.
It is up to you whether you implement the recommendations or not.

Please feel free to call us and talk to one of our inspectors, we are here to help