Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) ratings are an important piece of information for a property. They essentially give details of how energy efficient a property is and how efficient it could be with some modifications. Ratings go from A (the best performance) to G (The lowest performance) but what is involved in the assessment and how is the rating calculated? Read on and we will take you through the process.
The EPC inspector will visit the property and the assessment, depending on the property will take about an hour. The inspector will look at things such as:
- The size of the property, this clearly makes a difference as a much larger property will be harder to keep energy efficient.
- What and how much insulation there is. The inspector will ask about cavity wall insulation and will also take a look in the loft to see what type and how deep the insulation in there is. They will also look to see, for terraced or semi-detached properties, what type of dividing wall there is between the properties.
- The property construction type and age. The assessor will want to know about the age of the property but also will want to know whether the walls are double skinned and what the roof tiles are made of. This will give an indication as to how efficient the building fabric itself is.
- The lighting you have. The assessor will look at how many light fittings there are in the property and the type of bulbs that they use, from this they can calculate the energy used for lighting.
- The heating systems in the house and how they are controlled. The assessor might want to see any documentation on the boiler system but will look for zoned thermostatic controllers, thermostatic valves on radiators and any other sources of heating in the property.
- The Windows in the property. The assessor will determine how many windows there are and what type they are, such as single glazed, double glazed or even triple glazed. The assessor will also take a look at the condition. Clearly double glazed windows in poor condition won’t be as efficient as ones in good condition. This will extend to doors as well.
- The property’s ventilation. All properties need ventilation to move stale air around and improve the overall living conditions. But too much ventilation is very energy inefficient as new air needs to be heated up.
Once the assessor has completed the assessment, they will generate a report, which will give the current calculated energy rating from A-G and also the potential energy costs. It will also give the achievable rating and costs and more importantly, what would need to be done to get that better rating along with possible costs for the upgrade.
EPC ratings are important for a property, not only for the owner so they understand their property’s energy performance but also for potential owners who can make an informed choice on property running costs. EPC certificates are valid for 10 years, but, if there are significant upgrades made it would be advisable to get a new certificate.
