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Energy Performance Certificates | Local EPC Certificates Provider

EPC Assessors in Great Linford area

One Fixed Price – up to 5 bed only £55

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We undertake EPCs in your area

epcHome is an EPC supplier doing EPCs in Great Linford and the nearby areas. As approved Domestic Energy Assessors, we would be pleased to carry out your EPC whether it’s required for rental or perhaps for a property sale. The standard price of an EPC in Great Linford is Only £55

CLICK HERE TO BOOK ONLINE

Exactly What Is An EPC? – Steph Explains Below.

Many people are uncertain of what an EPC is before they call us. Our explainer video below might help. Or you can carry on and read the quick explanation.

WHY USE US AS YOUR EPC PROVIDER?

  • No complicated price variations of property types and rooms.
  • No misleading “from” prices.
  • No waiting for an Assessor to call you back.
  • No filling in long complicated forms before you get a quote.
We also cover these nearby areas: Stantonbury, Campbell Park, Newlands, Milton Keynes, Springfield, Stonebridge, Central Milton Keynes, Northfield, Broughton, Loughton

What is An EPC?

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EPC stands for Energy Performance Certificate. It’s a three to five page report that rates the property from an A the best to G the worst. It will provide advice on energy improvements which can be made in the home which would help to lower your energy bills.

Why You Need One

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The most common reason for requiring an Energy Performance Certificate is If you are selling or renting a home. The reason being, legally, you will need to give the incoming occupant a valid Energy Performance. These are among the other reasons you may be required to produce an EPC.

• For a remortgage
• Making a claim for funding under the Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme (RHI)
• Getting grant funding through the Energy Company Obligation Scheme (ECO)

All of the above examples refer to existing residential properties. If you have been asked by building control to provide an EPC in conjunction with recent building work, they are looking for what’s called a SAP EPC. This sort of EPC is known as SAP EPC and is necessary for building control to demonstrate compliance with building regulations for any recent construction work you might have undertaken. Should you require a SAP EPC, then CLICK HERE. If you’re uncertain, just give us a call for more advice.

How To Get One Done

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An EPC is done by a professional and approved domestic energy assessor. The Assessor must go to property to get the necessary information.

The assessor will take dimensions of the property as well as obtain details about the present lighting, heating, glazing and existing insulation. It takes between 20 and 40 minutes, depending on the complexity of the home..

The information is then entered into approved government software which produces the EPC. The EPC Certificate will then be lodged on the national EPC register and you should receive it by email typically in a couple of days. However, if you need to have your EPC quickly, for a small additional fee, we can produce an EPC for you on the same day of the visit. We call this an express EPC.

That’s it, its all completed. Your EPC is then valid for 10 years.

LANDLORDS - ARE YOU UP TO DATE?

Booking your EPC is easy:

  1. Click the BOOK ONLINE button below
  2. Select an available date and time slot
  3. Give us your name and the address requiring the EPC
  4. Pay securely online or pay on the day
  5. If you prefer you can always call us to book. Call free on 0800 046 7345

That’s it, your EPC is booked. You will receive an email confirmation and a text reminder a day before the visit. Your EPC will be emailed to you in 2 or 3 days. If you order an Express EPC, you will receive it the same day of the visit.

You can cancel with a full refund if you cancel within 24 hours of the visit.

CLICK HERE TO BOOK ONLINE
Call Free 0800-0467-345

How To Enhance Your EPC Rating

Here we will provide you with some easy tips so that your EPC shows your property in the very best light.

Image of an EPC energy rating

These things will improve your EPC rating

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In most cases your Assessor will get the vast majority of information they require by simply going around the property. The data entered into the software is based on evidence gathered during the visit.

What we need to avoid is the Assessor putting into the software program the term “as built” for items that will be required where no proof is obtained. If the term “as built” needs to be used then the program will default to the worst case scenario based on what would have been there when the property was built. EPC rating.

Whenever you can provide documentary evidence of these sorts of improvements then this can be shown on the Certificate and will likely enhance the rating of your EPC Certificate.


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

• Any wall insulation External/Cavity/Internal– Any guarantees, or invoice from the installer.

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

• Floor insulation/ sloping ceiling insulation – receipt from installer showing thickness fitted.

• Roof extensions year it was built – completion certificate, dated architects drawings.

These make the biggest difference

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The 3 mains 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 homes are typically heated by either of these fuel sources: gas, peak rate electric, off peak electric, oil, bulk or bottled LPG. So for example a property heated by gas would cost 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 which uses in the region of 12,000 kwh to heat the home, it would cost £556 to heat with gas when compared to £2,760 for bottled LPG.. Therefore running costs influences the Energy Performance rating rating. Higher costs equates to lower ratings.

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.

These make less difference

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Double glazing
Although improvements to the double glazing does make a difference, the biggest difference is only really achieved when upgrading from single glazed to doubled glazed. If you are modernising from pre 2002 upvc double glazing, this will only show as a small improvement in the energy rating of the home. With upvc double glazing the perception is typically experienced by the customer in terms of cosiness from a reduction in draughts. As the EPC doesn’t take into account the condition of any particular item, this kind of comfort gain is just not measured.

 

Low Energy Lights
Again low energy lights does indeed help the Energy Performance Certificate because they are a low cost improvement that makes a contribution to reduced energy costs but nowhere near the same contribution as insulation, heating and heating controls.

Great Linford Landlord EPC Services

The regulations for property owners are forever increasing. If you are a property owner, make sure that you don’t fall foul of the regulations, as civil penalty charges as much as £5,000 could be given.

Have a look at our guidelines for quick advice. We also offer reductions for several properties.

Letting agent handing over key

EPCs And Rental Properties

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From April 2020, all current rented properties should have a valid EPC. Previous to that date an Certificate was only necessary on new rentals. Penalties may be issued by the local authority for infringement of this.

What Is The Minimum Rating For A Rental Property

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An EPC rates the property from an A, the very best, to a G the lowest. To legally let a property, the energy rating need to be not less than an E. The regulations that regulate this is known as The Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard or (MEES) in short. For additional information on MEES check out the government website for landlord guidance.

If your property currently is an F or G it cannot legally be let on a new rental. Should there be an existing tenant in the property and the rating is lower than an E, then the landlord has got to do something to get the rating up to an E.

How To Find If You Have A Valid EPC

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The Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government have for the last ten years maintained a register of all Energy Performance Certificates. This register is found at www.epcregister.com. You can check here to find out if your rentals have a valid Certificate and see that they meet at least the required E rating.

A recently available article in the Telegraph taken from information on the register discovered that around 250,000 landlords are yet to conform to the new regulations. The article can be found here. Make sure you are not among them. Over time, we anticipate a growing number of Local Authorities to get up to speed with enforcements.

The rules, nevertheless, are not intended to be onerous. The initial step to take is to get an EPC lodged on the register and should it be lower than an E, to show that you are taking or have taken actions to reach an E. Even if it doesn’t achieve an E, there are certain exemptions that you might then be able to apply for. We can provide expect guidance on all aspects of MEES.

SAP Calculations

If you require a SAP EPC for building control please CLICK HERE.

Here we will answer your most common questions asked about the EPC.
Which Properties Do Not Need To Have An EPC?
  • Stand-alone buildings (of less than 50 m2 )
  • Places of worship.
  • Industrial sites and non-residential agricultural buildings that use little energy.
  • Temporary buildings that will be used for less than two years.
  • Residential buildings that are used for less than 4 months of the year.
  • Listed buildings.
    • Is It Possible To Let A Property Without An EPC?
    No. From April 2020 all rental homes must have a valid EPC registered on the EPC register. To legally rent a property the energy rating of the EPC has to be at least an “E”, or the property must have a valid exemption.

    The EPC rates a property from A 100 (the most efficient) to G 0 ( the least efficient). The rating of an typical UK property is a D60 Rental properties need to be at least an E rating. If it is not an E then the property owner would need to carry out some of the recommendations on the EPC to raise the rating. If an E rating can not be achieved, then an exemption can be applied for by going to the Government website and applying for an exemption on the PRS register.

    What Is The Minimum EPC rating to Let A Property?
    The minimum EPC rating for rental is an ‘E’. The EPC scores the property from A, the best to G, the worst. Dwellings rated F or G, from April 2020, cannot legally be let. Energy-efficient upgrades will need to be made, or a valid exemption applied for.
    What Is Penalty For Not Having An EPC?
    A fixed penalty charge of £200 may be given for failure to comply in the following circumstances: on sale or rent the seller or landlord failed to make a valid domestic EPC available free of charge to the would-be buyer or tenant at the earliest opportunity.
    Can An EPC Fail?
    No. The EPC is not a pass or fail. Even so, various 3rd parties may require the EPC have a certain rating before they choose to proceed. An example might be a bank loaning money against a rental property, would require that the EPC is at least an “E”.
    What Does EPC E Mean?
    The EPC will rate your property either A,B,C,D,E,F, or G. An E rating is the legal minimum a property can be in order to rent out. It is also getting to be the standard requested by banks when loaning money against a home.

    It’s not saying you won’t be able to borrow the funds if it is below an E, however there are more likely to be additional conditions in the arrangement.

    What Happens If An EPC Runs Out During A Tenancy?
    It will simply need to be renewed. Under the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard, all rental properties will need to have a valid EPC of at least an E rating or above. All EPCs are lodged on a national register at epcregister.com. The EPC is good for a further ten years.
    Is An EPC A Legal Requirement?
    Yes, an EPC is a legal requirement for all rental properties and homes that are being sold as well as all newly built properties. Legally, the inbound occupant need to be given an EPC.
    Are All Listed Buildings Exempt From An EPC?
    All listed properties are exempt from requiring an EPC. A listed building is one as being defined in the database of Historic England as a listed building. A list can be located on the historic england website.
    Can You Evict A Tenant Without An EPC?
    If the tenancy commenced or was renewed after 1 October 2015, a landlord cannot evict with a section 21 notice (no fault eviction) if they have not provided the tenant with an Energy Performance Certficate. If an EPC is subsequently obtained, a period of 8 weeks would need to pass before applying for a section 21 notice.

    In addition to the EPC the tenant would have had to be also provided with a gas safety certificate in addition to a copy of the government guide “How to rent”. The “How to Rent” guide can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-to-rent

    Landlords are always advised to get proper legal advice to ensure that all documents is given to the courts correctly.

    Can A Home Be Marketed Without An EPC?
    Yes a property may be marketed without an EPC subject to one having been booked to be carried out within 7 days. If after making all realistic efforts one can not be obtained within that timeframe, then a further 21 days is permitted to acquire one.
    It Is A Legal Requirement For Renting, To Have An EPC?
    From April 2020, all properties for rental need to have a valid EPC on the EPC register. The EPC rates the energy efficiency of a home from A-G. For rental, the EPC has to be a minimum rating of an E, unless a valid exemption has been applied for.
    What Is The Cost Of An EPC?
    An EPC typically costs between £50 – £120. This depends upon size of property and location. Typically it is cheaper if going straight to a licensed Assessor rather than using a 3rd party like an Estate Agent or a marketing company.
    What’s wonderful about Great Linford. Quite a few exciting things beyond EPCs.
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