Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) have been introduced to help improve the energy efficiency of buildings.

If you are buying or selling a home you now need a certificate by law. From October 2008 EPCs have been required whenever a building is built, sold or rented out. The certificate provides 'A' to 'G' ratings for the building, with 'A' being the most energy efficient and 'G' being the least, with the average up to now being 'D'.

Accredited energy assessors produce EPCs alongside an associated report which suggests improvements to make a building more energy efficient.

From October the 1st 2008 it became mandatory for landlords in England and Wales to make available a full Energy Performance Certificate to all prospective tenants.

An Energy Performance Certificate or EPC is the product of an energy survey that is carried out by a qualified Domestic Energy Assessor (DEA). The certificate provides two separate ratings to indicate the overall efficiency of the property and the associated CO2 impact. The certificate also includes instructions on how to improve the overall energy efficiency of the property.

The report gives your property a rating between A and G. “A” Rated properties have the lowest running costs and “G” the highest. The calculation is made using the characteristics of the home which include, but are not limited to: - the age of property, heating system, heating controls, insulation, glazing and lighting.

Once the calculation is made you will receive a report that will outline your score and give recommendations on how your rating can be improved. It is advised to act on the recommendations but you are under no legal obligation to do so.

What an Energy Performance Certificate looks like and contains.:

The certificate provides a rating for the building, showing its energy efficiency. The ratings are similar to those found on products such as fridges and are standard so the energy efficiency of one building can easily be compared with another building of a similar type.

For homes, two ratings are shown:

The energy-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 environmental impact rating is a measure of a home's impact on the environment in terms of CO2 emissions - the higher the rating, the less impact it has on the environment.

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.

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.

The certificate also includes a recommendation report, providing information about ways to improve the energy performance of the property. Recommendations include cost effective improvements and further improvements. For each improvement the level of cost, typical cost savings per year and the performance rating after improvement are listed. The potential rating shown on the certificate is based on all the cost effective recommendations being implemented.

In addition the EPCs must convey several other key pieces of information:

Reference information
This includes the type of property (e.g. house, flat), the unique reference number (as stored in the central register) and date of the certificate.

Estimated energy use
This is based on standardised assumptions about occupancy and heating patterns. An estimate of the current and potential energy use, carbon emissions and fuel costs for lighting, heating and hot water is provided. The actual energy use depends on the behaviour of the occupants.

Energy Assessor details
This includes the assessor's name, accreditation number, company name (or trading name if self employed) and contact details.

Complaints
The certificate will provide information about how to complain or how to check the certificate is authentic.

Energy advice
The certificate provides basic advice about energy efficient behaviour.

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