It’s been a legal requirement since 2008 that if you’re planning to sell or rent out your property, you’ll need an EPC before it goes on the market. An EPC shows potential buyers or tenants how energy efficient your property is. Since 2018 it’s also been a legal requirement for all rented residential properties to have a minimum efficiency rating of E. A valid EPC may also be required as part of the funding process to install energy-efficiency measures such as insulation, solar or heat pumps.

Regarding the following property types… Holiday Lets - Where the property is let out for less than 4 months a year then no EPC is required. HMOs - If the property was originally a home dwelling and then converted into a HMO, but could easily be used again as a single home dwelling again then it will likely need an EPC. However, we recommend contacting your local authority to confirm before arranging an EPC. If the property is a purpose built HMO then it will most likely need a commercial EPC. Standalone buildings - Any standalone building with a total usable floor space of less than 50 square meters that is not a dwelling, does not require an EPC. Lease extensions or renewals - Do not require an EPC. Compulsory purchase orders - No EPC is required. Places of worship - Do not require an EPC In the case of Listed buildings - It’s advisable to first seek advice from your local authority’s conservation officer on whether an EPC is needed.

You can view your home's EPC report on the Gov website: https://www.gov.uk/find-energy-certificate

You'll need to ensure the domestic energy assessor has access to the outside of the property, all internal rooms, the boiler or hot water cylinder, as well as the loft (if you have one). They'll also need access to the electricity meter and gas meter (if you have gas). You will need to gather any paperwork the energy assessor may require on the day (if applicable to your property): Windows - If you've had windows fitted in the last 15 years have the FENSA certificate available. Extensions / loft conversions - Have the Building Regulations Completion Certificate to hand and the dates when the work was done. External wall insulation - If you've had cavity wall insulation but then had the external walls rendered or repointed, have the warranty or certificate for the work available for the energy assessor. Renewables - If you have solar panels, battery storage or a heat pump, have the MCS certificate and installation paperwork available.

All EPCs by eco-apt are completed on-site by an Elmhurst Energy accredited Domestic Energy Assessor (DEA) and take 35 - 50 minutes depending on the size of the property. We’ll need access to all rooms and the loft space if applicable, as we’ll need to assess key features such as the building type, room sizes, glazing, insulation, heating and hot water systems, as well as heating controls. We create a floorplan to work out the heat loss areas and we take photo evidence for the data we collect. The assessor then inputs their findings into a government approved software which calculates the energy efficiency of the property and what steps can be taken to improve both energy efficiency and the property rating. All assessment data is processed back at the office that same day. Once payment has been received your EPC is then published onto the public register and a link is emailed to you where you can view your EPC on the government's EPC register.

On the day of your EPC assessment we'll email you your invoice. The email will contain a link to our website where you can pay by credit/debit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. You can also choose to pay via bank transfer but please note bank transfers may take up to 24 hours to complete. Once payment has been received, the EPC is published onto the public register and you'll be sent a link where you can access it.

Your EPC tells you how energy efficient your property is by giving it a rating from A (very efficient) to G (inefficient), as well as giving recommendations on how to improve your EPC rating. Some recommendations on the EPC such as cavity wall insulation or upgrading your heating system may require more of a financial investment but there may be support available, depending your circumstances. You can find out more information via: https://www.gov.uk/browse/housing-local-services/household-energy However, you could still make some of the recommended improvements yourself, so here are some of the most common recommendations on an EPC: Switch to energy efficient LED lighting - Whilst this won’t make a huge difference to your EPC rating, it’s by far the easiest and least expensive recommendation to do, and should save you money on your energy bill. Insulate your hot water cylinder - A hot water cylinder jacket is relatively inexpensive and should be easy to install. If you already have a jacket fitted around your tank, check it’s thickness. If it’s not at least 80mm thick, consider buying a new one. Heating controls - If you don’t already have heating controls, consider installing them. Heating controls typically consist of a programmer, room thermostat and thermostatic radiator valves for each radiator. If you already have a thermostat, try turning it down by just one degree (for example, from 22 to 21 degrees) to save on your energy bills. Upgrading your loft insulation - If you are DIY minded and your loft is easy to access and has no damp or condensation problems, you may want to consider topping up your loft insulation if it’s less than the recommended 270mm thickness.