In accordance with the European Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, by 2009 all buildings in the UK that are constructed, sold or rented will have to have an Energy Performance Certificate.

An EPC gives information on the energy usage, running costs and potential improvements that could be made to reduce the energy usage of the property.

An assessment is carried out by an accredited Domestic Energy Assessor who takes the information and processes it with specialist software which gives a rating for your property.

An energy assessment of your home will involve both an internal and external inspection of the property. For the purposes of obtaining an Energy Performance Certificate, they can only be undertaken by a fully accredited Domestic Energy Assessor (DEA) or Home Inspector.

When the DEA arrives, he (or she) will need to inspect, and make note of, the following property details:

The year of property construction
Walls and roof construction
Signs of wall-cavity insulation
Energy-saving "green" devices (such as solar panels, for instance)
Number of double glazed windows and when installed
Number of open or closed fireplaces
Make and model of boiler and the type of flue and fuel used
Number of low energy light-bulbs
Type of heating system used and controls (wall thermostat etc...)
Roof insulation and thickness.
Measure the thickness of the hot water cylinder jacket or foam.
Check for excessive window area in larger houses and take measurements of conservatories and extensions.
Note the number of habitable rooms that are heated.
Measure the internal or external areas of the home.
Sketch and make notes relating to home and room layout

The certificate shows your ratings for both the current efficiency of the property and the environmental impact.

Additionally the certificate will show typical ongoing energy costs of the
property as well as advise on improvementswhich are listed separately with an estimated saving per year.

The details of an EPC are not in the public Domain. Your property's EPC will be stored in a central database along with a unique identifying number. Access to the record can only be made via this reference number which is available only to the owner/seller and potential buyers.

The owner of the property will have a copy of the EPC and potential buyers or tenants will gain access to it via the Home Information Pack and the above mentioned database.

The assessor will typically be on site for an hour although this can vary of course. Your certificate will be completed 48 hours.

Please be assured that although the assessment in mandatory you are not under any obligation to bring the the property up to any minimum standard. The certificate is very useful to the owner on advising where improvement can be made to the property and gives a guide to the associated energy costs.

Our environment is under threat from climate change and a major contributor to this change is the burning of fossil fuels for energy production. Reducing our Carbon Dioxide emissions by ensuring we use energy efficiently in the home, work and whilst traveling can help reduce the affects of Climate change

The first efficiency ratings were for electrical appliances to enable the consumer to make an informed decision on their purchase with regards to climate change and running costs. This rating system has now been further extended to buildings in the form of an Energy Performance Certificate which again gives the owner or potential purchaser an indication of the energy performance and running costs of the property with the additional benefit of showing where improvements can be made.

No, an EPC can only be provided by a qualified Domestic Energy Assessor or Home Inspector.

If you would like further information you will find the following links useful:

Home Information Pack information:

Communities & local Government

Direct

Energy Performance Certificate information

Communities & local Government

Direct - EPC Home Page