Want to save money on energy costs? By showing you how you can reduce your energy consumption in your home, business, or rental property, an EPC is an important place to start.
What is an EPC?
An EPC, or Energy Performance Certificate, is part of a larger initiative to cut energy consumption across the UK and the European Union. The UK still uses the system despite leaving the European Union in early 2020.
The energy performance certificate uses a graded scale to demonstrate how efficient a given property or home is when it comes to its energy use. Namely, the rating system is a graded scale from “A” to “G,” where “A” is the most efficient, and “G” is the least.
The certificate is necessary every time a property is built, sold, or rented. If you are a property owner, you must show prospective buyers or renters the energy performance certificate before there is any kind of financial transaction.
The certificate is valid for ten years, which means that it is worth checking if a given property still has a certificate in place. You can access such certificates by going to the domestic energy performance certificate register, where you can search by either address or reference number, a twenty-four digit code located on the front of the certificate.
How do I obtain an EPC?
To obtain an energy performance certificate, you must have a qualified assessor come to the property to carry out an inspection.
The inspector will check some of the following as part of the examination:
- The cavity wall
- The building’s insulation methods (foam, etc.)
- The water tank and the boiler
- Any windows
After the assessment has been completed, the certificate is created with a software program that calculates a grade based on the information the assessor plugs into the system.
In addition to providing information about the property’s electric systems, it will provide recommendations as to how the owner of the property can minimize the property’s energy use on a daily basis.
As of 2018, it is required that a property’s grade must be at the grade of “E” or above before it is sold or rented to others in the UK. If the building’s efficiency is not up to par, this means that, if you are the building owner, you will have to follow the certificate’s recommendations to bring it up to the “E” grade. This may mean you will have to pay for necessary renovations and part replacements.
Such repairs are a requirement unless it would be expensive to improve such a grade (i.e., the property owner would have to spend £3,500 or more), in which case you may file for exemption.
How much can I expect to pay for an Energy Performance Certificate?
The price of the energy performance certificate depends on the time taken by the assessor to inspect the property. If the building is older or has older electric systems, note that it may take longer for the assessor to properly carry out their work.
In total, you should expect to pay between £75-125 in total for the inspection and certificate.
Are there exemptions?
You do not need an EPC for certain buildings, including buildings set to be demolished, places of worship, and buildings with temporary or limited use throughout the year. Industrial workplaces may also be exempt, especially if they do not require significant energy usage to operate.
If you are unsure about whether you will need an energy performance certificate for your property, check with local authorities to be sure your building is exempt before you decide not to go through the process of getting the certificate.
Arrange to get an EPC today!
An EPC is an important tool which can help you to live more sustainably, protect the environment, and potentially save money on your utility bills. As such, getting the certificate is a process to take seriously: namely, you need to ensure the person conducting the assessment of your property has the proper qualifications.
Unsure where to find an assessor you can trust? We’ve got you covered! Check out our website today to see a list of seasoned professionals in your area who are happy to get the job done! If you go through us, furthermore, you can get a quote from the professional up-front so that there are no financial surprises.
Why wait? Hire a qualified professional today, and get ready to save!.
