EPC
Energy Performance Certificates
As a result of world wide recognition of the damaging effects of greenhouse gases many countries have agreed to take action to reduce this problem. These countries signed up to the Kyoto Protocol which agreed a set of measures to reduce CO2 emissions. As buildings have been shown to be responsible for up to 50% of all energy consumed in the UK, it is vital that we make our buildings as energy efficient as possible. Increasingly updated methods are being applied to new builds but the majority of our housing stock has very low efficiency.
An EPC will tell you how Energy Efficient a property is on a scale of A - G. the most energy efficient properties are those that have the lowest fuel bills and can be found in Band A.
An EPC will also tell you on a scale of A - G the impact a property has on the environment. The less impact a property has through Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions, the better the rating will be.
Currently the average residential property in the UK can be found in Bands D to E. this is often for both Energy and Environmental ratings. In order to improve the ratings the EPC is always accompanied by recommendations on cost effective measures that may be taken to reduce fuel consumption and Carbon Emissions. This will enable the homeowner to save money on fuel bills whilst also having a positive effect on the environment.
The assessor will look at the properties heating system, hot water system, glazing, lighting and construction as well as checking any loft areas for insulation.
EPC's are produced using the Rd SAP methodology which makes various assumptions about energy usage based on the information gathered. This allows the system to compare the information with another building of the same type.