Energy Performance Certificates |
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| Introduction |
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| Energy performance certificates are a required document in a Home Information Pack (HIP). |
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| We have many more articles on Home information packs. You can also buy and download a pack for use today. |
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| The relevant Acts of Parliament and regulations associated with HIPs are: |
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- Housing Act 2004; and;
- The Home Information Pack Regulations 2007.
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| The Home Information Pack will change the way you do business. Make sure you're prepared. |
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| Do I need one? |
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| As a homeowner, you'll only need to take action when you sell your home. After 1 August 2007, you will need an Energy Performance Certificate as part of the Home Information Pack to sell your home. |
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| If you're buying a four bedroom home after 1 August 2007, you should expect to find an Energy Performance Certificate as part of the Home Information Pack. |
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| What does it show me? |
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| The Energy Performance Certificate tells prospective buyers about the energy efficiency and environmental performance of a home. The certificates are commissioned by the seller (or their agent) from an accredited energy assessor, who visits the property to collect the relevant data and creates the certificate. This data includes the date, construction and location of the house, and relevant fittings (heating systems, insulation or double glazing, for example). |
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| By 2009, all buildings in the UK that are constructed, sold or rented out will have to have an Energy Performance Certificate, in accordance with the European Energy Performance of Buildings Directive. |
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| Predicted energy assessments |
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| These are for homes that are not yet built. When a home is designed, a predicted energy rating based on the design is produced. This must achieve at least the target energy rating laid down for the home as specified by the energy efficiency requirements of building regulations. |
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| Interim energy assessments are for new homes built in accordance with the energy efficiency requirements of the building regulations that came into force in April 2006. For these homes, until 1 October 2007, only the energy-efficiency and environmental-impact graphs will be required, and not the full Energy Performance Certificate. |
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| Why is it important? |
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| Nearly 40 per cent of the UK's energy consumption arises from the way in which our 25 million buildings are lit, heated and used. Even comparatively minor changes in the energy performance of and the way we use each building would have a significant effect in reducing energy consumption - and therefore carbon emissions. |
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| Communities and Local Government is leading the introduction of a number of energy-and cost-savings measures to make all buildings more efficient. The measures are being applied across all European Union countries and are in line with the European Directive for the Energy Performance of Buildings. |
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| The Energy Performance Certificate lists cost-effective measures that homeowners can take to improve the energy efficiency of the building. This can mean lower energy bills for the occupiers, and could make homes more attractive to potential purchasers. The certificate will provide contact details for the Energy Savings Trust, who can help you find out whether you could be eligible for grants or discounts to help carry out these improvements to your home. It will also list simple ways that changes in behaviour can save you energy and money - without the need for any works. |
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| What the Energy Performance Certificate means in practise |
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| The Energy Performance Certificate is similar to the certificates now provided with domestic appliances such as refrigerators and washing machines. |
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| Its records how energy-efficient a property is. The certificate will provide a rating of the property from A to G, where A is very efficient and G is very inefficient. |
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| Two ratings are shown. The environmental impact rating is a measure of a home's impact on the environment in terms of carbon dioxide (C02) emissions - the higher the rating, the less impact it has on the environment. The energy- |
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| efficiency rating is a measure of a home's overall efficiency. The higher the rating, the more energy-efficient the home is, and the lower the fuel bills are likely to be. The average property in the UK is in bands D-E for both ratings |
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| Each rating is based on the performance of the building itself and its services (such as heating and lighting), rather than the domestic appliances within it. This is known as an asset rating. The certificate also lists the potential rating of the building if all the cost-effective measures were installed. |
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| The ratings will vary according to the age, location, size and condition of the building. The potential rating on the certificate will take these factors into account, and the suggested measures will be tailored so that they are realistic for the particular building. |
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| How to make your home more energy efficient: |
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| There are two ways of doing this. You can make changes to the building, or simply changing your behaviour to save energy. Energy Performance Certificates will give you advice on both of these areas. |
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| For example, here are some changes you could make to the building. You could: |
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- Use low-energy lightbulbs: these last up to 12 times longer and use around 80 per cent less energy than traditional filament bulbs;
- Install hot water tank jackets. These cost from around £10, and can cut heat loss by around 75 per cent;
- Insulate the loft: fitting insulation that's at least 250mm thick could cut heat loss by around 30 per cent;
- Insulate the wall cavities: If you have unfilled cavity walls, installing insulation could cut heat loss by over 30 per cent.
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| The cost of the measures recommended will vary, but the certificate will distinguish between those that cost under £500 (such as those above) and those that could cost more, such as double glazing or new heating systems. The certificate will also list further measures that will help achieve the highest possible ratings for the home, but which could be expensive and will take more than seven years to repay their cost in energy savings. |
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| Personal Behaviour changes: |
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| There are also simple ways that you can improve your energy efficiency, simply by changing how you use your home: |
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- Check that your heating system thermostat isn't set too high (21 degrees C in the living room is suggested), and use the timer or programmer so you only heat your home when necessary;
- Make sure your hot water isn't too hot. Your cylinder thermostat shouldn't need to be set higher than 60 degrees C/140 degrees F;
- Turn off lights when they aren't needed, and don't leave appliances on standby. Remember not to leave chargers turned on when you aren't using them.
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| What happens to Energy Performance Certificates once they're completed? |
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| They are all stored in a central database. Energy Assessors (through their Accreditation Schemes) lodge them as they produce them, and each is given a unique reference number. Access to the database is restricted, so only those who have the reference number can access the certificate for a particular property. |
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| Click to Buy: Section 8 Notice |
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