What you need to know about EPCs

As the house buying season begins, some timely advice comes from the Heating Helpline on Energy Performance Certificates.

6 May 2010 – Buying a house is said to be one of the most stressful things in life. Not surprising with all the legalities, endless paperwork and actual logistics of the move. With the introduction of Home Information Packs (HIPs) and compulsory Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) the house buying and selling process has become more complex, but helps to make the house buyer better informed than previously. The aim, however, is that with an EPC the buyer can now tell exactly how energy efficient – or otherwise – a property really is. As the house buying season gathers pace, some timely advice comes from the Heating Helpline on EPCs – what they are and how to obtain one if you are selling your house. EPCs are required whenever a building is built, sold or rented out and have been introduced to help building users to improve the energy efficiency of their buildings, saving energy and therefore money, and cutting their Carbon Footprint. The EPC will provide an energy rating for a building which is based on the performance potential of the building itself (the fabric) and its services (such as heating, ventilation and lighting). The energy rating given on the certificate reflects the intrinsic energy performance standard of the building relative to a benchmark which can then be used to make comparisons with comparable properties. The certificate provides ‘A’ to ‘G’ ratings for the building, with ‘A’ being the most energy efficient and ‘G’ being the least, with the average up to now being ‘D’. The EPC will also list energy saving recommendations to demonstrate how much more efficient the house could be and how you could save on your bills. EPCs can only be provided by accredited energy assessors. As 90% of people in England and Wales use an estate agent to sell their property, it’s likely that most will leave it to the agent to arrange the EPC as part of the Home Information Pack. Whoever you employ must be affiliated with an accreditation scheme, as this ensures that the assessor is operating to approved, professional standards. For a list of approved accreditation schemes in England and Wales visit www.direct.gov.uk or contact your local authority. Further information is available via the free Heating Helpline on 0800 840 4069 or at the website www.heatinghelpline.org.uk. Ends