The Energy Performance Certificate Explained
The Energy Performance Certificate Explained is helpful when deciding when exactly you need an energy performance certificate. Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) are a legal requirement for properties being marketed in the United Kingdom and were introduced under the Home Improvement Packs (HIPs) in 2007. While the HIPs were repealed by the Localism Act in 2011, the EPC has remained as a cornerstone of British attempts to improve the energy efficiency of the country and comply with both European Union legislation such as the European Union Directive 2002/91/EC and the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). These two legislative acts require countries to reduce energy waste and consumption as well as decreasing the amount of greenhouse gasses and carbon dioxide that is being pumped into the atmosphere. The energy performance certificate complies with these specifications and provides standardised assessments of all properties sold or rented in the United Kingdom and fines of up to £5000 can be produced by Trading Standards Officers for failure to adhere to the regulations.
Having been refreshed and renewed by recent legislation, which came into effect in April 2012, the energy performance certificates are now much more detailed and provide compelling reasons for improving the overall energy efficiency of your property. Continuing the recognisable bar chart system from the old certificates, the A to G ratings have remained and your property will be ranked according to how energy efficient it is. The energy performance certificates will also retain the cost efficient suggestions for ways to improve your overall rating which can be recommendations such as installing thicker loft insulation, cavity wall insulation, double-glazed windows etc. The recommendation aspect of the report has been taken a step further, however, and the energy performance certificates now include the estimated energy costs for the property as well as detailing the amount which you could be saving if you were to act on the recommendations. There is also a new chart which lists and ranks each aspect of your energy performance related features in order to highlight where the property is weakest and costing you the biggest financial losses.
A second element of the energy performance certificate is the page detailing the carbon dioxide emissions of the property. While being listed on the front of the old EPCs alongside the energy efficiency rating chart, both sections have now been given individual pages and the CO2 emissions are listed on the fourth page of the document. This value is important as the more poorly performing the property, the larger the environmental damage and impact is being made. The CO2 emission ratings are also a source of energy loss and, much like the energy efficiency rating, the higher the rating then the more money is saved.
The Energy Performance Certificate Explained can help inn order to avoid a hefty fine and significant financial loss by not possessing an energy performance certificate when you market your property, fill out the online form and My London Tradesmen will give you three company quotes on your behalf. You will then be supplied with up to 3 quotes, leaving you to make an informed decision regarding the best tradesman to employ based on the quotes you have received.
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