Energy Performance Certificates are essential in the UK for renting, buying and selling homes. What exactly is an EPC rating, you ask? We will explain what an EPC rating is and how it works.
EPC ratings are a rating of a property’s energy efficiency. They are used by prospective buyers or renters to quickly find out how much their energy bills will be for their new house or flat.
EPCs in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland are performed by EPC assessors, or ‘Domestic Energy Assessors.’ In Scotland, however, they must be approved by the government. The EPC assessor will take a quick survey of your home and produce an EPC. The house is then ranked on a colour-coded system, A being most efficient and G being the least expensive with the highest fuel bills.
The following factors affect your house’s EPC rating:
The energy consumed per m2
The amount of carbon dioxide emitted each year (in tonnes).
The EPC once issued will remain valid for a period of 10 years. However, if your EPC has been issued more than 10 years ago, you will need a new EPC before you can sell your house or rent it.
You can view an EPC online and get it for free through the EPC Register. They are useful when you’re comparing homes. The house seller or the landlord must provide an EPC. Prospective buyers don’t need to pay anything.
But it’s not all about that. EPCs can be a valuable tool for homeowners who want to improve their homes’ efficiency and running cost, as well as the comfort.
High EPC ratings are crucial
Except for listed buildings, every house must have an EPC valid before it can sell. EPC ratings make it much easier to compare houses, particularly when potential buyers must choose between several properties. The high-scoring A-rated green property is the most preferred choice of any potential buyer, even at a glance.
You don’t have to worry if that is the case. The Energy Performance Certificate provides information on how you can improve your EPC rating. If you are looking to sell, it is worth improving your home’s energy efficiency.
It’s a smart idea to make the improvements and have a new survey completed to reflect the changes.
EPC ratings of band E or higher are required for landlords in England & Wales. EPCs can also be used to claim incentives from the government, such as the Renewable Heat Incentive.
Energy Performance Certificate
Once you have the EPC of your current or potential house (which you can find via the EPC register), we will now explain everything. This is a 3-bedroom, new-build house.
Estimated energy cost
The Energy Performance Certificate’s section 1 explains the estimated cost of energy for the house. It is divided into 3 categories: lighting and heating. These figures were based on the energy prices at the time of the EPC’s issuance. You should expect to end up paying more than the EPC estimate due to the changing cost of energy. These running costs don’t include additional appliances such as TVs or computers.
Energy efficiency rating
Next, the EPC rating of the house will be given on the scale of ‘energy efficiency,’ just like modern appliances. This scale is A to G. A represents the most efficient house, while G indicates the worst. The lower the efficiency, the lower are the running costs.
The house’s current energy efficiency rating is not enough. A “potential rating” indicates how efficient it could be if improvements are made (more on that later).
The top actions you can take
This section is for homeowners looking to make some home improvements. The EPC assessor gives recommendations on energy efficiency measures and the costs involved. They also give estimates about the savings over the next 3 years. These are the most straightforward and easiest improvements to make, but they will have a big impact on your EPC rating. An EPC of a new construction is an example. This means that most of its energy efficiency measures were taken during installation to ensure compliance with the modern Building Regulations.
Summary of the house’s main features
This section of Energy Performance Certificate breaks down various components of the building (e.g. walls, windows, floors etc.) before describing their type and rating.
EPC assessors will give an informed estimate for elements that are not easy to measure the energy efficiency. The house’s age is often used to calculate this. You can tell which area is it because the element’s description will include “(assumed).”
This is what an EPC assessor would look at when assessing cavity insulation. Without taking a sledgehammer and measuring the energy efficiency of the walls in your house, it is difficult to assess how energy-efficient they are. EPC assessors will base their calculation on the house’s age and the Building Regulations requirements. Keep all documentation regarding energy efficiency improvements in your hand for the EPC survey!
Energy sources that are low or zero carbon
The EPC section on sources of energy with low or no carbon emissions is as its name suggests. These include heat pumps, ground source and air source heat pump, as well as biomass boilers.
Your home’s heating demand
The table displays how much heating (kWh) will be needed in space heating and hotwater. If your house is not well insulated (as most UK homes are), this table will give you an estimate of how much heat demand can be reduced by taking the recommended measures.
These figures are also used for the calculation of the Renewable Heat Incentive.
Recommendations
This section of the Energy Performance Certificate provides more information about the “top actions you should take”. The recommendations in this section are cumulative. This section serves as a guideline for transforming your home’s EPC rating to green. EPC calculates what amount could be saved each year and what effect it would have on your overall EPC rating.
The environmental impact of buildings
After a brief description of the EPC assessor, and the certificate, you will find the last paragraph which gives an (rather alarming) estimate of how much carbon dioxide your home produces. After the improvements mentioned, the final paragraph gives a reduced estimate.
