EPC fact file for property sellers, buyers, landlords & tenants.
Energy Performance Certificates - Background & Grants
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Energy Performance Certificates, also referred to as EPCs, have been introduced in an effort to improve the energy efficiency of buildings. It results from a European Directive. In Britain we have linked it with the process for selling houses and when properties are re-let. For the most up to date EPC information please visit the government website. They also have information on UK Climate Change You can also obtain impartial advice on how to save energy. The energy savings trust have a really useful on-line tool which finds and compares the grants that are available to help you improve the energy efficiency of your property and save you money on your fuel cost. .. more information ..... |
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EPCs - What are they?
An EPC is a report on your property. The EPC states an energy efficiency rating between A and G (A representing excellent performance and G being very poor) in a similar way to those on domestic appliances like fridges. It also provides a similar rating for the Environmental Impact of the property.
For the average property you should expect a rating of a D. Better ratings will be achieved for newer builds or updated properties with the best insulation and heating systems. A worse rating is likely if the property is older with inefficient heating and poor insulation.
The certificate gives an estimate of fuel running costs, an advisory section explaining the rating and recommended works to improve the energy efficiency of your premises. The recommendations give you an idea of the most cost effective ways to reduce your fuel costs.
The EPC is recorded by Landmark on behalf of the government.
The certificate must be prepared by an authorised assessor (DEA) who will visit your property to gather the information to produce the EPC. The survey is non invasive i.e. they gather information using what they can see and measure, together with any documentary evidence provided. Note that the DEA cannot take a homeowners word alone for any changes made, there will need to be supporting evidence. There are a number of accreditation schemes. Bristol Idea use elmhurst energy. 2% of all EPCs produced are checked by the accreditation schemes.
Lost EPC
If you can't find your EPC then it is possible to track it down from the Landmark site. Use the Lost Report Referernce Number option and Landmark will come back to you with the contact information for the Energy Assessor who originally produced the report. You can then contact them and ask for the reference number. Alternatively we can track down a lost EPC for you for a nominal charge.
If we produced the EPC for you then we will email a version to you free of charge. If you want a printed copy posted then there will be a nominal charge for this service.
EPC Adviser
With EPC Adviser, once you have an EPC, there is an online tool available that can help you decide on the changes you want to make. You need your EPC reference number. You can then enter the change, for example if you plan to increase your loft insulation or put in cavity wall insulation you can try different combinations of this and get an instant report to see how much money you could save.
If you are buying/selling :
From 21st May 2010 Home Information Pack (HIP) have been suspended. However, an EPC is still required and must be commissioned, although not necessarily received, before the property is placed in the market. The EPC must be available within 28 days of the property being marketed. The EPC has to be less than 10 years old when the property is placed for sale. If you fail to provide an EPC the Trading Standards Officer can issue a notice with a £200 penalty. For further information see government press notice.
If you are renting out :
From October 2008 Landlords must provide an EPC for new tenants. You do not require an EPC if you are just renting out a room (the property must be self contained to required an EPC). Whether or not you require an EPC also depends on how the contract is written with the tenants (as the property must be 'self contained' if the property is let to more than one tenant, each with their own contract with you, there is no requirement for an EPC). Once produced the EPC is valid for 10 years. If you fail to provide an EPC to your tenant the Trading Standards Officer can issue a notice with a £200 penalty per dwelling in addition to the requirement to provide the missing EPC. For further information see the government guide for landlords.
If you are a landlord you might find the LandlordZONE of interest.
Holiday Lets
From 30th June 2011 an EPC will be required for properties rented out as holiday lets for 4 or more months of the year. The EPC must be commissioned by the owner before the property can be rented out. Mobile homes and caravans are not considered to be buildings and are exempt from the requirement. Similarly renting out individual rooms as part of a B&B are also exempt. The EPC is valid for 10 years. The department of Communities and Local Government have produced a guidance note on EPCs for Holiday Lets which answers many frequently asked questions.
If you are a tenant :
The government provide a useful guide.
New Build and Conversion to Domestic Use :
An EPC is produced using a Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP), first introduced in 1995. It was the UK Governments recommended method for assessing the typical energy costs for space and water heating and incorporated lighting from 2005. This methodology is still used for new build and when buildings are newly converted for residential use. It is a mandatory requirement and is used to check compliance with Part L of the Building Regulations.
For existing domestic properties a simplified version referred to as RdSAP was brought in during 2007.
Bristol Idea carry out RdSAP EPCs and not full SAP for new build and conversions. However, Elmhurst Energy provide a full service for New Build and Conversions.
Feed in Tariffs :
Feed in tariffs were launched in England, Wales and Scotland on 1 April 2010. Any energy generated from a renewable or low carbon source by a household or community being fed back into the National Grid is guaranteed a minimum payment per KW/h fed in. It is proposed that the feed in tariff will reduce to 21p / kWh for installations completed from 12th December and there will be a requirement for a property to reach a pre-defined level of energy efficiency. Find out more.
The Green Deal :
This is the government's latest programme to address the energy inefficiency in the country's housing stock. Under the Green Deal bill payers will be able to make energy efficiency improvements without the need to fund them up front. Instead businesses will provide the capital and receive their money back via energy bill. Basically the savings on fuel bills will be used to fund the work. Find out more.....
Low Energy Lighting
One of the areas that the EPC takes into account when assessing the energy efficiency of your property is the proportion of fixtures that contain low energy light bulbs. The old incandescent bulbs are being gradually phased out but halogen bulbs are also classed as high energy for the EPC. When buying low energy bulbs the packaging contains a lot of information that can help you decide which ones will suit your purpose. Rather than look at the Wattage you should look at the panel that gives the Lumens rating which will tell you how bright the bulb will be.
| Low Energy Lumens | Incandescent Wattage |
| 200 - 500 | 40W |
| 500 - 700 | 60W |
| 900+ | 100W+ |
There is an additional panel which tells you the colour of the light the bulb will produce - warm white (like the old incandescent bulbs), cold white (one to look for if you want to work under the light) or blue light.
All low energy bulbs will all take time to come up to full brightness. The best will do this in under a minute. Again this should be on the packaging.
Also on the packaging will be confirmation if the bulb can be used with dimmer switches.
Is this the Ultimate in Renewable Energy?
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Taken at the 2010 Bristol Harbour Festival. These cyclists were providing the power for one of the sound stages |
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 | How do you provide power to a phonebox in the Outback. Simple, photovoltaic..... |
Thermal Images of your property can be provided by epogee who are based in Monmouth. They also provide courses on ways to improve your energy efficiency yourself. Let them know if you found them from our site.
Updated by the webmaster Wendy Morri on 4th January 2012