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Energy Performance Certificates
Since 2007 all properties coming to market either for sale or let require an Energy Performance Certificate (or 'EPC') and marketing cannot commence until this is available.
The assessments must be carried out by a suitably qualified assessor and the certificate is then uploaded to a central register and is valid for 10 years. If your property does not have a current EPC we will arrange this for you through Greenstar Energy Performance.
Here is a summary of the Greenstar Energy Performance information available from their website or Contact Us for more details and information on fees.
So what is an EPC?
An Energy Performance Certificate rates your property according to how efficient it is at heating itself, heating hot water, retaining heat and also its environmental impact.
Properties are rated on a scale of 1-100 giving it a grade from A-G, with A being the most efficient. The average score for a house in Northern Ireland is currently 57 which is a D.
Properties are also given a potential rating; based on the same scale; indicating what the property could achieve if some improvements were made. Those improvements are detailed in the report with an approximate cost and an approximate yearly saving.
Please Note you are not obliged to implement these improvements, they are merely optional.
Why have they been introduced?
The UK government has made a commitment to reduce carbon emissions in the UK as per the Kyoto Protocol of which it is a member. With housing being a major contributor to carbon emissions in the UK (up to 50%), the EPC is a way of making people aware of how efficient their home is with a view to motivating improvements.
The Assessment Process
Assessments are carried out by an Energy Assessor who visits the property to collect data such as the age of the house and any extensions, insulation levels, construction type, central heating type and its controls, and the size of the house.
Assessments typically take up to 1 hour depending on the size of the house.
The certificate is then created from this data, lodged on a central government register and issued to the property owner.
