Energy Performance Certificates
What homeowners need to know.
Does your property tick all the right boxes where
energy efficiency is concerned? Do you aspire to an energy performance
certificate (EPC) as proof of your eco-conscious credibility, regardless of
house selling intentions? Or has that fourth bedroom in your Victorian semi now
become a study because you fear EPC failure, as the assessment software is based
on a system developed for new and nearly new houses?
These and other questions may become redundant if Home Information Packs (HIPs)
are derailed altogether. There is a chance that Gordon Brown will make an early
'popular' decision to abandon them when he becomes Prime Minister. After all,
the Government has received substantial flack over the HIPs business from the
Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), the Law Society, estate agents,
solicitors, Which? and other consumer bodies.
As things currently stand, the HIPs scheme is to be implemented from 1st August
and will initially apply to houses for sale with four or more bedrooms. Such
houses account for 17% of all owner-occupied homes, says the Council of Mortgage
Lenders. The Government says these homes have the greatest potential to benefit
from energy efficiency improvements.
The EPC is viewed as an integral element of the HIP, especially now the home
condition report is no longer a mandatory inclusion. If HIPs are totally
dislocated and crushed, it is still likely that the energy performance
certificate will survive given the Government's commitment to the EU Directive
on raising energy efficiency.
What Is An EPC?
The certificate will be valid for a year, its purpose being to give prospective
buyers an idea of how energy efficient the property is. It will indicate to the
seller areas of potential improvement that will reduce carbon emissions and
energy bills.
The EPC will contain details of the property's average energy use per square
metre, the level of carbon dioxide emissions and an estimated cost of providing
heat, light and water for the property.
The hope is that sellers will be encouraged to carry out repair (if necessary)
or implement works such as loft insulation, cavity wall insulation, fitting
thermostatic radiator valves, resealing of windows and casements etc, in order
to ensure a better EPC score and a quicker house sale (or they might just throw
the towel in and settle for a lower asking price!).
It has been calculated that more than 70% of energy used by the average home is
for the heating of space and water. There are 8 million homes in the UK without
cavity wall insulation and around 6 million still without loft insulation.
Such meters would be automatically included in new-build homes and installed when an existing meter needs replacement. They would be available to any customer who asks for a trial period; American trials of such meters have resulted in a 5 to 10% reduction in energy use.
Who Provides The EPC?
Energy performance certificates will be issued by qualified energy assessors and home inspectors. The problem (and the main reason for postponing the HIP introduction from 1st June and limiting its catchment area) is that there are still too few such hallowed individuals qualified to carry out this operation.
The Government originally estimated some 7,000 operatives would be required, but as of the beginning of May, only 1900 had passed the relevant exams. Confusion and uncertainty about the future of HIPs hasn't helped; why pay for training in a career which might become obsolete?
HIPs and thus EPCs will be available to buy from specialist providers, with estimates of the average price ranging from £300 to £1,000. The EPC alone should account for around £100. Some argue the HIP price will be reduced as more energy inspectors are trained and the HIP becomes more common and easier to compile.
However, it is expected that most house sellers will purchase a HIP through their estate agent or conveyancer. So the cost could be included in the terms and conditions of business or defrayed as part of an estate agents marketing plan.
An EPC Route To Tears?
Will a check list assessment procedure derived from a system developed for new-build work on an old property? There are valid concerns over the reliability of EPC assessor software. In one reported example the same period cottage achieved three different EPC scores from three different assessors (one even recommended cavity wall insulation to a cavity-less wall).
The classic Victorian house, no matter what its condition, seems destined to achieve a low energy efficient rating. The Centre for Alternative Technology says a badly insulated Victorian houses uses five times as much energy to heat (tell me about it!) as a new house. About 4 million of the 21 million homes in Britain were built pre-1918.
Yet it is very important for old buildings to be able to breathe. Over-insulation can lead to increased condensation, mould and damp problems and possibly a rising incidence of asthma.
Improvements recommended by an ECP could result, if implemented, in huge disruption for an older house. For instance, dry lining walls can entail the moving of wiring, radiators, plumbing and skirting boards. Many older (and listed) buildings could end up permanently damaged simply be
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