With effect from 1st October 2008 all properties on the market to let will require an Energy Performance Certificate by law in England and Wales.
Landlords will require an Energy Performance Certificate for properties being marketed for rent from 1st October 2008. Properties already with a tenant before 1st October 2008 will not require an EPC until the property is available for rent at a later date. The EPC is only required for properties that are self contained, and is valid for 10 years.
Purpose of EPC’s
Energy Performance Certificates are part of a European law to make consumers more aware of how green a building is. An EPC has two ratings. The Energy Efficiency rating which measures how efficient a building is, and the Environmental Impact rating detailing the CO2 impact. The energy efficiency ratings are classified from A-G, A being the best and G the worst. The current average UK rating is E. The graphs will show the environmental impact rating. Both graphs will show the current and potential rating.
It will provide estimated running costs based on standard assumptions. The actual heating, lighting and hot water costs may differ as not all homes are used and heated in the same way. The EPC will make recommendations on how to make the property more energy efficient but are not compulsory. Tax savings and grants are available for improving energy efficiency. You can obtain advise from visiting www.warmfront.co.uk and www.energysavingtrust.org.uk
Who produces the Energy Performance Certificate?
A fully qualified Domestic Energy assessor (DEA) accredited by one of the Government approved accreditation schemes will produce the EPC. The DEA should be provided with information on cavity wall insulation and energy saving measures before attending the property. The EPC will have the data stored on the Government Landmark website where all land and property information is stored. The DEA will require access to all rooms including any loft space, take all room measurement and take photo’s of the property and boiler system.
Penalties for non- compliance
The legislation is monitored by the Trading Standards Office and enforced by the office of fair Trading. The penalty for marketing a property after the date of legislation without an EPC is £200. The penalty can be imposed several times until the point that an EPC is provided for the property.