Issue 39 - Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs)

Welcome to the Newry Democrat’s Renewables and Energy saving section brought to you by Kellys Renewable Energy Solutions (www.kellys.uk.com). This week we will discuss Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs).

Energy Performance Certificate regulations require that everyone who either buys or newly rents a house, be informed of the calculated energy usage of the house. This is done by an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). It is the responsibility of the person who is selling the house to provide this certificate or if you are renting the property, it is the responsibility of the Landlord who is offering the property for rental.

What does the EPC tell you? The EPC tells you, in a diagrammatic form, the energy band into which your house falls on a scale of A to G, a bit like a fridge label (A - very good, costs less than average to heat; G - very poor, costs more to heat).

The EPC is accompanied by a list of cost effective measures that can be undertaken to improve the energy efficiency of the house; and the estimated cost savings for heating, lighting and hot water that can be made by following each of the measures recommended above. There is no requirement for anyone to carry out these measures but, if they are carried out, the dwelling will be more energy efficient and will cost less to heat, light and provide hot water.

Who can produce an EPC? The EPC can only be produced by a Government Approved Accredited Assessor. The Accredited Assessor will need to inspect the house and take measurements and gather other information, such as, the type of construction, heating system, lighting, secondary heating etc. The Assessor will use a specialised computer program to calculate the energy rating of the house based on a standardised occupancy.