RESIDENTIAL ENERGY PERFORMANCE CERTIFICATES | EPC SURVEYS

I charge £60 for an energy performance certificate on properties up to 4 beds or 200sqm.  For larger properties contact me for a quote

An EPC Assessment can only be produced by a qualified, accredited and insured Domestic Energy Assessor.  A full list of Domestic Energy Assessors local to you can be found on the Government Register at www.epcregister.com.

I am fully accredited and insured under the Quidos and Elmhurst accreditation schemes

It is a legal requirement to have a current, valid Energy Performance Certificate whenever a property is marketed for sale or for rent.  The EPC must be made available to potential tenants or purchasers upon request.  Failure to have a valid Energy Performance Certificate when the property is being marketed could result in a fine.  You may also need an EPC Assessment when applying for certain Government Grants for home insulation or heating improvements

As from the 1st April 2020 there is a legal requirement for any property rented out in the private rented sector to have a minimum EPC rating of E or above.  It will be unlawful to rent a property which breaches the requirement for a minimum "E" EPC rating, unless there is an applicable exemption.  

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The minimum EPC rating for rental properties is likely to change to a C rating in the near future.

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Further details about EPC exemptions for low EPC rated properties can be found on the .Gov website

No, I am an Accredited Domestic Energy Assessor, licensed to produce Residential EPCs on existing dwellings.  For Commercial EPCs you need a Non-Domestic Energy Assessor, and for New Builds you need an On-Construction Energy Assessor.  You can find a suitable energy assessor here

The EPC provides potential buyers or tenants of the property an idea of the running costs of the property, and the measures that can be taken to reduce running costs.  More importantly, the Energy Performance Certificate provides the Government much needed data about the UK Housing Stock's environmental impact, and what needs to be done to reduce the environmental impact and reduce fuel poverty

An EPC is valid for 10 years, and can be used for multiple property sales or tenancies during that time.  If you are not sure whether you have a valid EPC , or you have lost your Energy Performance Certificate, you can check the online EPC database at www.epcregister.com

You don’t need an Energy Performance Certificate if you can demonstrate that the building is ANY of these:​

• Listed or officially protected and the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards would ‘unacceptably alter it’

• Holiday accommodation that’s rented out for less than 4 months a year or is let under a licence to occupy

• An individual non self-contained unit e.g. a bedsit or room within a HMO

• Intended to be used less than 4 months a year

• Due to be demolished with planning permission in place

An EPC, or Energy Performance Certificate, is a rating of the current energy efficiency of a property.  It takes into consideration the age and size of the building, how well insulated the property is, the type of heating and the heating controls that are present, the type of glazing the property has amongst other things.

The property is given an EPC rating between G (low efficiency) and A (high efficiency), with the average UK property achieving a D rating.  

On a typical property, it usually takes between 30 and 45 minutes to produce an Energy Performance Certificate.  For larger or more complex properties it can take significantly longer - contact me to discuss

To produce an an EPC, I carry out a visual inspection of the property, with access needed to all rooms and the loft if possible.  I check how many habitable rooms are heated, identify the heating present and how the heating is controlled, whether the walls and loft are insulated, the overall size of the property and the heat loss perimeter amongst other things.  

The EPC Assessment is designed to be non-intrusive - ie I will not remove or damage any element of the property for the inspection. As such if I cannot inspect roof voids or any part of the property, generic assumptions will be made based on property age.

If your rental property scores below the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) you may be able to apply for an EPC Exemption Certificate if the property will never reach the MEES without a large investment.  For the latest regulations about qualifying for an EPC Exemption Certificate visit the .Gov website