Domestic EPC's

Energy Performance Certificate

From December 14, 2007, all homes in England and Wales to be marketed for sale need a Home Information Pack (HIP). The Pack includes an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), containing advice on how to cut carbon emissions and fuel bills.

The HIP and the EPC are now required by law for the sale of domestic properties. This is a requirement before the property can legally be permitted to be placed for sale on the housing market.

Energy Performance Certificates EPCs are generated by either a Home Inspector or a Domestic Energy Assessor, you can use either of these to carry out your EPC (both are trained professionals and members of the accredited schemes run by the government).

A Home Inspector or a Domestic Energy Assessor will visit your property and carry out a series of checks, these will measure the energy efficiency of your property. This is accomplished using a specifically designed piece of software where all information concerning your property is uploaded by the assessor and calculated.

The assessor will then issue a certificate to the nominated pack provider or to yourselves, showing the ‘energy rating' for the property (The 'A' to 'G' ratings are very similar to those on fridges and washing machines, 'A 'meaning it is very efficient, 'G' meaning it is very inefficient) along with an Environmental Impact Rating, which gives an indication of the property's carbon-dioxide emissions.
The EPC will also provide some guidance on how the energy efficiency of the property could be improved (Cavity insulation, change light bulbs to low efficiency, install double glazing etc.)

The Energy Performance Certificate for the home must be included in the HIP and is valid for 3 years when included in the HIP.

EPC’s must be made available to a potential homebuyer - free of charge.

The frequently asked questions section on the Communities Website has more information.