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Energy Improvement Services
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Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)
The Housing Health and Safety Rating System
came into Force within the provisions of the Housing Act in April 2006. The
European Directive sets out the provisions for the energy performance of
buildings and the issue of Energy Performance Certificates.
These will apply to homeowners, operators
and developers of properties. An Energy Performance Certificate will be required
at the time of sale of the property.
From 1st October in England and Wales, EPCs
will be mandatory for the sale or rent of all properties. For landlords, this
means a valid certificate will be needed for any property as soon as it is being
offered to let.
The certificate will show the energy
efficiency of the property at the time of inspection, the environment impact and
what recommendations can be made for improvement.
- An Energy Performance Certificate shows the official
energy efficiency rating of a property.
- The certificate provides you with a rating for the
building, showing its energy efficiency and its environmental impact on a
scale from A-G (where A is the most efficient and G the least efficient), in
graphical format. It also contains recommended ways to improve the
building's energy performance.
- The Energy Performance Certificate is similar to the
certificates now provided with domestic appliances such as refrigerators and
washing machines.
- Two ratings are shown. The environmental impact rating is
a measure of a home's impact on the environment in terms of carbon dioxide
(C02) emissions - the higher the rating, the less impact it has
on the environment. The energy-efficiency rating is a measure of a home's
overall efficiency. The higher the rating, the more energy-efficient the
home is, and the lower the fuel bills are likely to be.
- The ratings will vary according to the age, location,
size and condition of the building.
New requirements include:
- a new
duty on the seller to secure that an
energy performance certificate (EPC) has
been commissioned before marketing of
the property commences where no such
certificate is already available
- an
EPC has been commissioned when a
Domestic Energy Assessor has been
instructed to prepare the EPC and the
EPC has either been paid for or has
given a clear undertaking to pay for it
- a new
duty on the person acting on behalf of
the seller to be satisfied that an EPC
has been commissioned before commencing
marketing
- a new
duty on both the seller and a person
acting on their behalf to make
reasonable efforts to secure an EPC
within 28 days
- all
of the new duties carry fixed penalties
where somebody fails in the duty
conferred on them by the new regulations
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