Energy Performance Certificates
What is an Energy Performance Certificate?
An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) tells you how energy efficient your home is and gives it a rating from A (very efficient) to G (inefficient). It gives you an idea of the likely costs to heat and light your home, and what its carbon dioxide emissions are likely to be.
EPC Certificate
A chart showing an energy-efficiency grade between A and G, with A being the best - the most energy-efficient - and G being the least energy efficient.
An EPC also includes information on what the energy efficiency rating could be if you made some improvements. It also shows what these are likely to cost and what the savings are likely to be. An in person survey of your home needs to be carried out by an accredited Domestic Energy Assessor to collect all the information.
EPCs are a legal requirement whenever a property is built, sold or rented
Common things that come out of the reports include:
Insulation for your floor, roof, loft or walls. Better insulation means you can have the heating on less as it wont escape out of your house as easily, thereby lowering your energy bill.
Double glazing: windows keep in significantly more heat when they're double-glazed, again reducing the need for heating.
Solar panels: these produce cheaper, greener energy.
Low-energy light bulbs: something simple, using low-energy light bulbs is a cheap, easy way to lower energy bills.
Your property will be given an energy-efficiency grade between A and G, with A being the best - the most energy-efficient - and G being the least energy efficient.
The EPC also shows the estimated carbon dioxide production for the property. It shows the UK average household production – 6 tonnes C02 annually – so there is something for you to compare to. It also shows how much you could lower the C02 production by if you applied the recommendations.
It also gives the energy saving recommendations for the property, possible costs to do it and the typical yearly cost-saving against each one. It also tells you the possible rating change, for each thing you do and if you decide to do all of them. This lets you think about which things may be more cost-effective for you and in which order you want to do them.
Podcast - EPC & Fabric First
Louise and Adam talk about the first steps to take when looking at making your home more energy efficient. This can help reduce your energy bills and decrease your carbon footprint. What is Net Zero? What's an EPC? why do we need to worry about the moisture in our home?