Energy Performance Certificate - EPC
From the 14th of December 2007 until the 21st of May 2010, all homes sold in the England and Wales were required to have a Home Information Pack. HIP's were designed to reduce the time needed for houses to exchange hands, and also reduce any nasty surprises buyers might find once they move in. The UK government suspended HIP's in May 2010 to save sellers both time and money. There were several compulsory documents a seller needed to provide, as well as several optional documents. One of the compulsary documents was the EPC or Energy Performance Certificate and this is the only document to still be required when you sell a property.
What is an EPC?
The Energy Performance Certificate is designed to show the buyer how energy efficient the property is, as well as how much of an impact the property has on the environment in terms of potential CO2 emissions. Each property is rated on a 120 point scale, which is divided into the seven categories from A to G (A being the most efficient). As energy prices continue to rise, how efficient a property is will become more and more important to buyers. Efficient houses mean lower bills and potentially large savings over several years. The average house in the UK is thought to be D-E for both ratings. Houses are rated by Energy Assessors employed by the seller. These assessors look at many things, including the age of the house, materials of construction, location as well as relevant fittings such as heating systems and insulation.
In the average UK house, a EPC survey should take about an hour and cost around £300. However, in some circumstances, the time of the survey and the cost may rise. Accredited EPC surveyors will also offer a list of measures you can undertake to improve you energy performance rating and rate these according to cost, effectiveness and potential energy savings over a period of ten years. Major changes such as upgrading your boiler to an A-rated model or fitting double glazing can raise your grade considerably, but even small changes such as fitting energy saving lightbulbs will help your rating.
How to Improve your Rating
There are several ways you can improve the efficiency of your home, for people on a wide range of budgets. Even if you are not planning to sell any time soon, having an energy efficient home is a good idea, both for your wallet and the environment.
Lighting
Changing light fittings to take LED or fluorescent lightbulbs can increase your rating. Even fitting standard energy saving bulbs can help.
Insulation
Probably one of the quickest and easiest way to improve the efficiency of your home. There are several areas to consider including loft insulation, cavity wall insulation and floor insulation.
