| Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) |
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From 1st October 2008, landlords were legally required to provide prospective tenants with an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) for each property that they let. This is a Government initiative which grades properties for rent on their energy efficiency, and also recommends ways in which the property could be improved to increase efficiency. It is part of a series of measures being introduced across Europe in an effort to cut carbon emissions and tackle climate change. An EPC is now required when a property is built, rented or sold, unless that property is a place of worship, a building which will only be used temporarily, stand alone buildings with total useful floor area of less than 50 metres squared (that aren’t used to provide living accommodation for a single household), industrial sites, workshops and non-residential agricultural buildings that don't use a lot of energy Produced by accredited energy assessors, part of the EPC includes a report which lists the potential rating that your home could achieve, if you made changes. You could use this information to:
It may make suggestions such as fitting energy saving light bulbs or adding more insulation to the loft in order to save energy. You do not have to act on the recommendations in the report, however it could make your property more attractive to prospective tenants if you do so. Landlords are required to make the EPC available to prospective tenants to enable them to make comparisons between properties. The idea behind it is to encourage tenants to rent properties which are energy efficient, especially when you consider rising fuel costs. The certificate will show ratings for the building from A to G. (A being the most efficient). On average properties seem to be within the D range, although this is expected to improve. We can obtain an Energy Performance Certificate for your property from as little as £75.
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