Energy Performance Certificate Overview: Domestic
Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) for domestic properties were introduced as law in the UK in 2007 as part of the then mandatory Home Information Pack (HIP) which anyone selling a property would be required to produce. Seen by many as a flawed Government policy, the Housing Act of 2004 which introduced this scheme was suspended and the law has since been repealed entirely due to The Localism Act of 2011. However, there is still a requirement for an Energy Performance Certificate to be obtained for all domestic, rental and commercial properties prior to their marketing.
Non-compliance with the legal requirement to obtain an Energy Performance Certificate will result in a fine of up to £5000 dependant on the price of the property to be sold or let. If an EPC has not been produced when asked for by a Trading Standards Officer, as well as the substantial fines which will be issued, there is still a requirement to obtain an Energy Performance Certificate and pay the fees involved for that service.
The Domestic Energy Performance Certificate contains information such as the address of the property, the type of property (e.g. detached or semi-detached), the date of the inspection and the Certificate itself. The Domestic EPC features a bar chart with alphabetical rankings from A (meaning most efficient) to G (meaning least efficient). Since guidelines have changed from 6th April of this year however, the new version of the Certificate includes more in-depth analysis of the properties estimated current energy costs. It also details the potential savings and prices which can be achieved by implementing any updates recommended for the property.
There are a few exemptions from the requirement to obtain a Domestic Energy Performance Certificate. Examples of these exemptions are:
- Places of Worship
- Temporary Buildings that will be used for less than 2 years
- Stand-alone non-residential buildings with a floor space of less than 50 m2
- Unsafe properties which pose a Health and Safety risk
- Some properties which are scheduled to be demolished
If the property is exempt from a Domestic EPC then it could require a Commercial Energy Performance Certificate or a Non-Domestic Energy Performance Certificate.
It is a legal requirement that the correct Energy Performance Certificate is acquired for any property being sold and it is the responsibility of the seller to ensure that a valid EPC is obtained within the time established by Government regulations. As of 6th April 2012, the time-scale has been reduced from 28 days to 7, with a potential extension of 21 days if the certificate could not be obtained by all reasonable efforts within the 7 day period. By updating the Domestic EPC when any improvements have been made, you keep your property as visibly energy efficient and environmentally friendly as possible.
Once you have submitted your job via our online form, My London Tradesmen will contact companies on your behalf, you will receive up to 3 quotes leaving you to make an informed decision regarding the best tradesman to employ based on the quotes you have received.
All of the tradesmen we use have received up to date training and are registered with all the necessary bodies. We only use reputable and trustworthy tradesmen.