Energy Performance Certificates, EPCS, EPC, Energy Asssessors London

Domestic Energy Performance Certificate

Buildings produce nearly half of the UK carbon emissions. That is twice that of planes and cars. This is to do with the construction elements in a building including the heating, glazing, type of fuel, lighting etc.

In an attempt to reduce our carbon emissions the government s across Europe introduced in October 2008 Energy Performance Certificates to help improve the energy efficiency of buildings.

Energy Performance Certificates (EPCS) present a building's energy efficiency as an ‘asset rating' In is done in the same way as when you buy white goods such as fridge.

Energy Performance Certificates are required on all property that is let or sold. Domestic EPCs are not required for buildings that are not homes. This includes:

          • Places of worships
          • Temporary buildings with a planned period of use of less than two years, building
          • Building using low amounts of energy like barns
          • Homes that are about to be demolished

When a home is about to be marketed for sale, the EPC will form the compulsory part of the Home Information Pack (HIP). The EPC must be made available free of charge at the stage when the property is being marketed.

For newly built or refurbished homes, the builder is responsible for getting the EPC. A Predicted Energy Assessment needs to be provided for new homes. This must be done before the building is complete. Once the building is completed an EPC will be produced. This also applies when a building is converted or changed in any form.

If you want to sell a dwelling before it is built or during construction, you will be required to give applicants information about the efficiency of the building via a PEA (Predicted Energy Assessment). This is a representation of the Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) rating which is taken from the SAP calculations that carried out at the design stage.

When selling or renting an existing home it is the landlords, owners or agent's responsibility to ensure an EPC is made available at the point of marketing

EPC Validity Period

The Energy Certificate is valid for 3 years on a property that is sold and 10 years on a property that is let. The energy assessors will register the EPC on the National Database called Landmark, where it will be given its unique RRN reference number which will enable you or anyone else to access the report online for the duration of its lifespan.

If there are any improvements or changes to the thermal dynamic of the property, such as condensing boiler for a non-condensing boiler, or double glazing replacing single glazing then a new or updated EPC will be required.

Energy Performance Certificates are carried out by Energy Assessors. All assessors must be registered with a government registered body. The EPC is carried out by the individual assessor who is responsible for its content. Their name will appear on the survey.

The EPC provides a rating from A-G. It also provides the owner with a set of recommendations on what improvements can be made and what potential impact will be. It is important to remember that a formula is used when calculating the data that is provided by the assessor. This information is standardised. This can result in some anomalies in the reports findings.

Energy Performance Certificates – What do they consist of?

Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) provide ratings for buildings enabling applicants to see how energy efficient they are.

          • The criteria used to assess this is as follows:
          • the age and layout of space in the property
          • the various activities in each of those spaces
          • construction materials
          • heating, cooling and ventilation
          • form of lighting

          • On Site
          • The assessor will take floor plans of the property and take photographs of the thermal properties including windows, boiler,
             date of construction , insulation, lighting etc. This information will then be fed into a computer programme that produces the report .

EPCs have two asset rating graphs:

One that shows the energy efficiency rating. This shows the buildings total energy usage, which is based on the assumed amount of fuel required. An ‘F' rating is poor versus a rating that could be achieved ‘B' if improvements listed in the recommendation section of the report were carried out.

The environmental rating – shows the impact on the environment in relation to carbon dioxide emissions. It also shows how environmentally friendly a building is and its potential for improvements .

They also provide:

EPC number and date of issue – this number will be attained when the assessors lodges the EPC through their accreditation scheme who in turn lodge it with Landmark, the national database.

Information about the energy assessor responsibility for the EPC with their name, accreditation number and employers name (or trading name if self employed) and accreditation scheme.

Information on how to check if the EPC is genuine and how to complain if necessary. Please click the following link for more information regarding Domestic EPCs. Click Here

Commercial Energy Performance Certificate

Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) are necessary when a building is sold, let or constructed and sometimes when renovation works are being carried out that alter the thermal elements of the building.

Unlike their domestic counterparts the commercial EPC is a lot more complex and requires more time both on site and in the office processing the EPC.

In order to carry out a commercial EPC you need to be accredited specifically to be able to carry out commercial premises. This is a separate qualification from domestic.

When you are buying a or renting a business premises, the EPC enables the applicant to consider the energy efficiency and potential energy costs of the property.

Applicants must be shown the EPC before they purchase, let or sublet a property.

EPCs are needed for buildings with multiple tenancies and let for different uses, with a mixture of retail, office and/or residential accommodation.

Energy Performance Certificates for the sale of business premises

If you are selling business premises, you must supply one or more free Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) - with their relevant recommendation reports - to prospective buyers.

You should provide the EPC either as soon as either:

          • you provide a potential buyer with other detailed written information
          • a potential buyer attends a viewing
          • an offer is made to buy the property

If you do not provide an Energy Performance Certificate any earlier, you must provide one to the buyer before completing a contract for sale of the building.

The number of EPCs required will depend on:

          • the complexity of the building itself
          • whether all or part of the building is being offered for sale
          • whether office blocks and mixed use buildings have a common heating system
          • whether all or some parts of office blocks and mixed use buildings have separate heating systems
          • whether shops with dwellings above have separate access and no common parts
          • whether shops with residential space above have shared common access

If you are selling a building and believe that the buyer intends to demolish and redevelop the site, you don't need to provide an EPC. This can usually be shown by having the relevant planning permission or evidence that planning permission has been applied for.

Energy Performance Certificates are not needed for:

          • lease renewals or extensions
          • compulsory purchase orders
          • sales of shares in a company where buildings remain in company ownership
          • lease surrenders
          • temporary buildings with a planned time of use less than two years
          • standalone buildings with a total useful floor area of less than 50 metres squared that are not dwellings
          • industrial sites, workshops and non-residential agricultural buildings with low energy demand

Selling or letting an existing business property

For the sale or rent of an existing property, it is the owner or landlord who is responsible for providing an EPC to any prospective buyer or tenant. This should be done no later than the day on which a viewing is carried out, or written information is provided about the premises. An EPC must be provided when a contract to sell or let premises is arranged - at the very latest.

Existing occupiers and tenants will not require an EPC unless they sell, assign or sublet their interest.

Energy Performance Certificates for newly built business premises

When a building is physically complete, the builder must:

Arrange for an accredited energy assessor to carry out an energy performance assessment when the building is complete and produce both an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) and a recommendation report for it.

Give the EPC to the building's new owner within five days of completion.

Notify building control officers or approved inspectors at the local authority that they have done so. Building control will not issue a final completion certificate for new buildings or refurbishment projects requiring building regulation consent until they are satisfied that the EPC has been properly produced and presented to the relevant party.

The same EPC responsibilities also apply when a builder completes a renovation or refurbishment that converts a building into more or fewer units than previously and, as part of that work, provides or extends any fixed services for heating, hot water, air conditioning or mechanical ventilation services provided in the building.

However, modifications to electric lighting do not trigger the need for an EPC.

Enforcement

Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) requirements are enforced by local authorities – usually trading standards officers. They can demand a copy of the EPC from the owner or landlord of a business premises at any time up to six months after the date that it should have been provided. If this happens you must provide a copy of the EPC within seven days of the request or face a fine.

In order to avoid a fixed penalty notice or a delay when you are selling or trying to let your property you should:

Allow enough time to commission an energy assessor and make sure you all have necessary design and construction plans and any information that might be required so the EPC is not delayed.

Take into consideration that the cost of an EPC will vary according to the size and type of building.

Take to cost into account when pricing the property for sale and build it into the asking price.

If an EPC is not made available to a prospective buyer or tenant when selling or letting non-dwellings, the fixed penalty in most cases is 12.5% of the rateable value of the building. If this formula cannot be applied, the default penalty of £750.00 is used. A formula is used as the costs of producing an EPC for business premises varies according to the size, complexity and use of the building. The range of penalties with this formula in mind can vary from £500 to a maximum of £5,000.00.

If you are issued with a penalty charge notice and feel it is unjustified then you can appeal it. If you are still not satisfied after the appeal you can appeal to the county court within 28 days of receiving the initial notice. If you can show that you requested an EPC from an assessor or company at least 14 days before it was required and that it was not made available to you in time despite you efforts, you will have a justifiable defence.

It is a criminal offence to:

          • disclose an EPC, a recommendation report or any information gathered while preparing these in any circumstances other than to fulfil              their duties under the law relating to EPCs - ie to prospective buyers or tenants for the purpose of making a decision regarding the              property, or to accreditation schemes and/or enforcement bodies if required to do so
          • obstruct or impersonate an enforcement officer A conviction for one of these offences could lead to a £5,000 fine.

Please Click Here to view more information regarding commercial epcs.