Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs)
An Energy Performance Certificate is a report on the energy efficiency rating of you home. The report contains graphs, as shown in the sample below, which give a current and potential energy rating.
The efficiency rating is determined by criteria which the energy assessor is trained to analyse. Some of the things they look at are listed here:
Size of property
Construction materials
Glazing materials
Loft insulation
Wall insulation
Low energy lighting
The approximate year of construction
Heating system – Boiler, thermostats, controls etc.
Renewable technologies such as Solar panels
As well as the energy efficiency graphs the report also makes suggestions for how to improve the properties energy performance, which will lead to reduced carbon emissions, lower energy bills and make the house more attractive to prospective buyers or tenants.
RdSAP
Before you can sell or rent a property you are required to provide an Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) to purchasers and prospective tenants. If you are a home owner concerned with the efficiency of your property then an EPC will give you a professional assessment with suggestions of how to make your property more energy efficient.
Rd stands for reduced Data – RdSAP is a method for assessing existing pre-occupied dwellings for energy performance and are legally required when existing dwellings are sold or rented out – providing energy consumption data to the prospective occupier. This method is only approved to create EPC’s for existing dwellings and should not be used for newly built dwellings.
Although the calculation is broadly the same, various standardizing assumptions are made that greatly reduce the amount of data required – to that which can be collected by a short site visit by a member of an approved RdSAP scheme. This is different to the procedure for new dwellings where more information is available from plans. An EPC should state the method used to produce it. Either SAP or RdSAP. To produce compliance documents for new dwellings and EPC’s – the assessor must be a member of an approved “on Construction” Scheme. If a new dwelling is being marketed off plan before completion then a predictive energy performance certificate can be produced as an interim indication of likely performance until the dwelling is complete. Qualified assessors for either new or existing dwellings can be checked out on the Landmark Web site.
What will it cost?
Our Energy Performance Certificate’s cost from £45 + VAT.
How long will it take?
One of our surveyors will visit your property by pre arranged appointment usually within 3 working days of instruction. The surveyor will usually be at the property for no longer than an hour. The EPC is usually emailed to the client on the same day as the inspection.
