Whether you are a home owner or an agent, it is important to understand how to read and understand your home energy performance certificate. You can use this information to improve your energy efficiency, lower your energy bills, and reduce your environmental impact.
EPC – Top Section
The first thing to do is make sure the address is absolutely correct!
Date of Assessment: This will always be the date which the EPC assessor visited your property
Date of Certificate: Differing from the above date, is the date when the EPC was lodged with the assessor governing body such as Elmhurst, Stroma etc.
Reference Number: A unique, and hence rather long reference number which is generated automatically at the time of submission.
Type of Assessment: Whether the certificate was created using full SAP or reduced SAP methodology ie SAP vs RdSAP
Total Floor Area: The internal floor area size based on the measurements taken by the assessor at the time of their visit.
EPC Rating: As easy as 1-2-3 A-B-C
EPC rating is determined by score. Showing current score and potential, if recommenddations are made
The rating is calculated using an assessment on-site, and it examines the following in your property:
- Floor area
- Type and attachment (House, bungalow etc)
- Insulation (Walls, floors, and roof)
- Window type
- Main heating and hot water
- Lighting
The graph of red-green-green is displayed on the first page. We all are aware that the scale is like something we recognise, and that is because it’s as the scales found in appliances depecting their energy efficiency.
A (above 92/100 ) will be the highest efficiency while A (above 92/100) is the most efficient and G (1-20) will be the most inefficient. So, how did your home get this rating and what does it mean?
The EPC Rating is total score is achieved by individually rating each facet of the above using software, but is roughly outlined below.
Recommended Measures to Improve EPC Rating
Based on the information that was input on each residence, the software will make suggestions to improve the energy efficiency of your home. These are presented in the form in the following format:
If you believe you’ve located your dream home, but then discover it’s EPC rating is an F, don’t worry!
Check out page 3 on the EPC and you’ll find suggestions for your property. You will find a listing of everything from changing some bulbs to installing an entire new boiler. On first look, it can seem overwhelming, particularly when there are a variety of alternatives to boost the energy efficiency rating of your home.
By reading through the column from right to left, you will be able to see the recommended actions and their estimated cost, the average savings you can expect each year, and the increase you could be able to see with your EPC rating should you implement them. Don’t forgetmt eh UK goverment may be able to provide assistance with various grants available to improve your home’s energy efficiency.
Alternative Measures
Some measures that the homeowner might want to consider are described as separate items. Details are provided in the footer of page 3 on where to locate an online tool that demonstrates how to cut costs on fuel costs, as well as when deciding which options to choose to apply for Green Deal finance (note the Green deal initiative is no longer available, but search the gov.uk website for more information on current grants, due to the current energy crisis the government is issuing many new grants.
To be able to make the most out of the EPC it is important to be able to understand it properly. With a good understanding of what it is saying, you can make important decisions about whether to buy a property, its impact on the environment or help you to save money on energy bills.
You can always find an EPC assessor near you by using the Go Local search by postcode tool.