What are Energy Performance Certificates?

Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) tell you how energy efficient a building is and give it a rating from A (very efficient) to G (inefficient). They’ll tell you how costly it will be to heat and light your property, and what its carbon dioxide emissions are likely to be.

An EPC contains:

  • information about a property’s energy use and typical energy costs
  • recommendations about how to reduce energy use and save money

EPCs are valid for 10 years from the date of issue.

What is an Energy Performance Certificate EPC
Legal-compliance-scaled.jpeg.optimal

Why get an EPC?

As of the 21st May 2010, if you decide to place your property on the market for sale or rent in the UK you will need to purchase an EPC. Since April 2018 it is also a legal requirement for the EPC rating to be a minimum of an 'E' rating in order for that property to be let to a tenant.

An EPC also highlights the energy efficiency improvements you could make, how much they will cost, and how much you could save. This can be useful when looking to improve your current property, or if you’re looking to buy and improve.

Bear in mind that any figures for energy use and potential savings are for a typical household in that property – they are not tailored to you.

If you do implement any of the energy efficiency recommendations outlined in your EPC, you may wish to get a new EPC to include these improvements.

WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR OBTAINING AN EPC?

When you are selling or renting your property, you, as the seller or landlord must provide the EPC. The certificate should be given to the prospective buyer or tenant prior to entering into a sale or lease agreement.

With a new build it is the responsibility of the person carrying out the work. They must provide the owner with the certificate and inform the Building Control Officer or Approved Inspector that this has been completed within the specified time.

finger-pointing-at-you

The owner/ landlord will have to pay for this survey and we offer extremely competitive prices.

The survey is designed to be a non-invasive visual inspection and all information is to be gathered whilst on site. If there are any measures that cannot be seen i.e. cavity wall insulation, we will require the associated documentation to include this within our certificate.

You can be fined if you do not get an EPC when you need one!

_105745004_gettyimages-684415304
510894_1

Buildings that do not need an EPC

These include:

  • places of worship
  • temporary buildings that will be used for less than 2 years
  • stand-alone buildings with total useful floor space of less than 50 square metres
  • industrial sites, workshops and non-residential agricultural buildings that do not use a lot of energy
  • some buildings that are due to be demolished
  • holiday accommodation that’s rented out for less than 4 months a year or is let under a licence to occupy
  • listed buildings - you should get advice from your local authority conservation officer if the work would alter the building’s character
  • residential buildings intended to be used less than 4 months a year

What can you expect to see on your EPC?

It’s worth noting that not all EPCs look the same. Older certificates will have most of the information included within a newer style EPC, although it may look a bit different and may be in a different order.

Please note that EPCs in England, Wales and Northern Ireland have recently moved to a new format, which looks different to Scotland's. The sections and information covered are identical.

70113

Why us?

Here at Risk Averse Ltd we are fully trained Domestic Energy Assessors able to undertake residential Energy Performance Certificates across the country.

We are based in Littleborough, Rochdale and cover all surrounding areas.

We are happy to tailor our packages to include RICS Level 2 and/or Level 3 Homebuyers Surveys at the same time.

Talk to our team today on 01706 614766 or by contacting us at [email protected].

Our EPC assessor

Meet our EPC assessor; Jack. Jack is a fully trained, qualified and accredited EPC Assessor and Retrofit Assessor providing solutions across the residential sector.

Jack can explain the needs and requirements in more detail, talk to him today.

Jack 2

Further information