Energy Performance Certificates.
Energy Performance Certificates are a summary report of a properties energy efficiency, it gives a property a rating from A (being highly efficient) to G (very poor) the report highlights the cost of running the building and any improvements that can be made.
Any property that is built, sold or rented out in England & Wales is required by law to have a certificate, and the certificate is valid for 10 years.
An Energy Performance Certificate contains:
Information on a property’s energy use and carbon dioxide emissions,
A recommendation report with suggestions on how to reduce energy use and carbon dioxide emissions.
Use of an EPC.
Many people have questioned the use of an EPC, do they help when buying or selling a property, are the good for tenants when assessing where to rent, it’s difficult to tell, how many people look at utility bills when buying or renting a property, is it a way of bringing up the minimum standard of a property.
Recent laws were introduced to do just that for rental properties – the new laws made it illegal to rent a property out with a G rating, it’s hard to get a G rating but the point is how long until it becomes illegal to rent out F rated properties or the assessment standards change and more properties fall into the lower classes.
The observation is also that less efficient properties could be taxed, seems unlikely but it happens to cars.
EPC’s are largely ignored but they should not be improvements should be considered and they should be used as a tool to help with your negotiation of the purchase price.
Key points on an EPC
- Suggested improvements, like fitting loft insulation, window improvements or changes needed to the central heating.
- If the improvements were made what the estimated cost savings would be.
- What these changes would do to the Carbon rating of the property.
- Details of the potential cost of running the property, but for a more accurate figure, you should ask the estate agent if you are concerned.
When should I get an EPC?
When selling your house you must order an EPC for potential buyers before you market your property, in most cases when you instruct an estate agent they will have an arrangement with a qualified assessor.
How much do they cost?
They can cost up to £100, it does depend on your area, most assessors have a flat fee whatever the property and some have fees that are linked to the value of the property, if you are concerned about the fee you can shop around and for a full list of energy assessors visit the EPC register online.
Can I challenge the report or complain about the report?
Yes, you can the report contains information about how you can do this.