Energy Performance Certificates What You Need To Know

With homes and commercial buildings responsible for a whopping 50 per cent of carbon

emissions in the UK, no wonder government bods thought it would be a good idea to introduce some sort of certification of a buildings efficiency and so the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) was born.An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) is essentially a certificate for homeowners, commercial property owners, landlords, architects and construction companies to show that theyve complied with the latest in green technology.

The requirements are different depending on what sort of building you own, rent, occupy or are looking to build or buy and takes into account the big things like building materials, insulation and heating and water systems, right through to the little things such as windows and light bulbs.

Differences explained:

For developers Any new building must be accompanied by an EPC and it is the responsibility of the developer to ensure this happens. This encourages architects, builders and developers to design and construct the building in as green a way as possible, which can only be a good thing for the future and for buyers.

For privately owned homes EPCs for domestic properties can only be awarded by an accredited energy assessor who will visit by appointment to see how the property has been constructed, whether or not it is adequately insulated and the way the building is heated, ventilated and lit. It is a legal requirement to get an EPC if youre looking to sell your home.

Although this is another expense to consider when selling a property, the EPC is valid for ten years from the date of issue and can be the difference between selling your home or not and getting the money you want for it or not.

For landlords / tenants Again an EPC is a legal requirement but a lot of help is given to landlords in terms of ways to make the home more energy efficient and meet the needs of the inspection. Help and advice is also given on how to improve the home and market it to attract interest from more tenants. The great thing about renting out an energy efficient home is that you can tell prospective tenants that the house will be warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer compared to non energy efficient buildings and that heating and electricity bills will be lower too. These are serious selling points and you might even find that you can increase the rent slightly because your property fulfils a higher specification.

Dont forget that is your responsibility to make sure your property is as energy efficient as possible and if youre buying or selling a house an EPC is a legal requirement so theres no getting away from it! Time to start collecting double glazing quotes and time to look into loft and cavity wall insulation.

by: Jamie Francis

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