In most cases your Assessor will get a lot of the information they need by just going around the home. The data entered into the software is based on evidence gathered during the visit.

The Assessor must take photographic or gather documentary information that is necessary for audit purposes. If no evidence is gathered then the Assessor has to enter the term “as built” into the software program. In cases like this the program will use what the property would have been built with based on it’s age.

If you can supply documentary evidence of these sorts of improvements then this can be shown on the EPC and will probably enhance the rating of your EPC.

• Any type of wall insulation Internal/Cavity/External– {guarantee, or receipt from installer.}

• Solar Thermal, or Solar PV – An MCS certificate from contractor.

• Sloping ceiling insulation/ floor insulation – receipt from contractors showing thickness installed.

• Roof conversions year it was built – building control sign off, dated architectural plans.

• Double glazing improvements made to the majority of the property – Fensa certificate, or dated receipt from the installers.

The three things that have the most significant effect on the energy rating are:

• The levels of insulation in the property.
• The heating system.
• The main source of fuel for heating the property

Main Source of Fuel
UK properties are typically heated by either of these kinds of fuel sources: gas, peak rate electric, off peak electric, oil, bulk or bottled LPG. So for instance a property heated by gas would cost you around 4.64 pence per kwh and the exact same property heated by bottled LPG 23p per kwh. {*source 2019 Nottingham Energy Partnership.} So with a typically semi-detached using in the region of 12,000 kwh to heat the property, it would cost you £696 to heat with gas in comparison to £2,760 for bottled LPG.. Therefore running costs influences the Energy Performance rating rating. Higher expenses equals lower scores.

Levels Of Insulation
Good levels of insulation ensures that the demand on the heating system is kept down, and it also results in a more comfortable home with lower running costs.

The Heating System
An efficient heating system with good controls such as room thermostat, thermostatic valves and programmer helps to keep energy bills down. This all contributes to a better rating on the EPC.

Double glazing
This particular one may come as a shock, but double glazing does not have as major an impact on the EPC as most people would imagine. Certainly not as much as the heating, the insulation and the type of fuel used in the property as mentioned before. Where it does have a larger impact, is when the house is upgraded from single glazing to double glazing. When you are changing from pre 2002 double glazing, to current double glazing, this will only show as a small rise in the energy rating of the home.

With double glazing the perception is normally felt by the customer in terms of comfort from a reduction in draughts. Because the EPC doesn’t consider the condition of any particular item, this comfort gain is not recorded.

 

Low Energy Lights
Again low energy lights does indeed help the EPC because they are an inexpensive improvement that leads to cheaper energy costs but nowhere near the same contribution as insulation, heating and heating controls.