EPC - what is it?

We all understand that the climate is changing and one of the major contributors is the emission of carbon dioxide. What you may not know is that your home could be emitting as much carbon dioxide as your car. The European Parliament has issued a directive, to help understand the impact and better measure the amounts released. As a result an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) has been introduced in England and Wales to comply with this directive and will form part of the Home Information Pack (HIP).

Why don’t you do the following quiz to find out how much carbon dioxide your house emits?   http://actonco2.direct.gov.uk/index.html

This certificate will show you and a prospective buyer, how energy efficient your home is. A professionally qualified Domestic Energy Assessor (DEA) will visit your home to make an assessment and produce the EPC. This will include both an internal and external assessment of your home. The DEA will record the construction of the walls and look into your loft to assess the type and amount of loft insulation. The DEA will use a number of different criteria to ascertain your energy efficiency, these include: how many windows are double-glazed, efficiency of your boiler, insulation of the hot water cylinder, size of the property including any conservatories or extensions.

From this information, the DEA will be able to produce a detailed report and issue a certificate showing how energy efficient your home is along with an environmental impact rating (How much carbon dioxide you are emitting). The report will also suggest home improvements, which could help save you money.   Please note - an EPC will not be able to tell you what your fuel bills will be or give a valuation on the property.