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We Are EPC Assessors covering the Houghton Regis area

If you’re renting, selling, or applying for a re-mortgage, you’ll need an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) carried out by an approved Domestic Energy Assessor (DEA).

The typical price of an EPC in Houghton Regis is £69.

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.

What is An EPC?

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EPC refers to Energy Performance Certificate. It’s a 3 to 5 page report that rates your property from an A the highest to G the worst. It will provide recommendations on energy improvements that could be made on the home which would help to reduce your energy bills.

Why You Need One

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The most frequent reason for needing an EPC is If you are selling or renting a property. It is because, legally, you have to give the incoming resident a valid EPC. These are among the other reasons you may be asked to provide 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 illustrations refer to existing residential properties. If you have been asked by building control to produce an EPC in conjunction with recent building work, they will be looking for what’s called a SAP EPC. This sort of EPC is produced in addition to SAP calculations to demonstrate that building work has met certain standards required by the building regulations. If you’re not sure, just phone us for more guidance.

How To Get One Done

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An EPC is done by a certified and accredited domestic energy assessor. The Assessor has to go to property to obtain the necessary information.

Your assessor will take dimensions of the home as well as obtain specifics of the existing lighting, heating system, glazing and existing insulation. It takes anywhere between 20 and 40 minutes, dependant upon the complexity of the home..

The information is then entered into approved government software which then produces the certificate. The EPC will be lodged on the national EPC register and you will receive it by email typically in 2 to 3 days. However, if you need your EPC urgently, for a small additional fee, we can provide an EPC for you the same day day of the visit. We call this an express EPC.

That’s it, its all completedYour EPC is then valid for ten years

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.

How You Can Boost Your EPC Score

Here we will offer you some easy tips so your Energy Performance Certificate reflects your property in the best light.

Image of an EPC energy rating

These things will improve your EPC rating

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The information entered into the software is based on evidence that the Assessor gathers during the visit. In most cases the Assessor will get almost all the information whilst going around the home.

Your Assessor will take photographic or obtain documentary information which is needed for audit reasons. If no evidence is gathered then the Assessor has to enter the term “as built” in to the software program. In this instance the software program will use what the property would have been built with based on it’s age.

Whenever you can supply documentary evidence of any of these sorts of improvements then these can be shown on the Certificate and is likely to increase the rating of your EPC.

• Loft extensions year it was constructed – building control sign off, dated architects plans.

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

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

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

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

These make the biggest difference

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The 3 mains things that have the biggest impact 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 generally 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 around 4.64 pence per kwh and the identical property heated by bottled LPG 23p per kwh. {*source 2019 Nottingham Energy Partnership.} So using a typically semi-detached which uses around 12,000 kwh to heat the home, it would cost £696 to heat by gas when compared with £2,760 for bottled LPG.. Therefore running costs affects the Energy Performance rating rating. Higher costs equals 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
This particular one will come as a bit of a shock, but double glazing does not have as major an impact on the EPC as most people would think. Certainly not as much as the heating, the insulation and the type of fuel used as mentioned before. Where it will have a more substantial effect, is if the home is up-graded from single glazing to double glazing. If you are improving from pre 2002 double glazing, to current double glazing, this would only show as a small rise in the energy rating of the home.

With double glazing the perception is typically experienced by the customer in terms of comfort from a decrease in draughts. Because the EPC doesn’t take into account the condition of any specific item, this comfort gain is not measured.

 

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

Houghton Regis Landlord EPC Services

The rules for property owners are forever increasing. For anyone who is a property owner, make sure that you don’t fall foul of the regulations, as civil fines up to £5,000 can be issued.

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 existing rented properties must have a valid Energy Performance Certificate. Prior to that date an Certificate was only needed on new rentals. Penalties and fees can be issued by the local authority for violation of this.

What Is The Minimum Rating For A Rental Property

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An EPC rates the home from an A, the very best, to a G the lowest. To legally let a property, the energy rating needs to be at the least an E. The policies that regulate this is called The Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard or (MEES) in short. For additional info on MEES visit the government website for landlord guidance.

If your property currently is an F or G it cannot legally be let on a new rental. If there is an existing tenant in the property and the rating is lower than an E, then the landlord will have to take measures 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 past 10 years maintained a register of all Energy Performance Certificates. The register is available at www.epcregister.com. You should check here to see if your properties have a valid Certificate and see that they meet at least the required E rating.

A recently available post in the Telegraph taken from information on the register found that around 250,000 investors are yet to conform to the new rules. This article can be found here. Make sure you are not one of those. As time goes by, we expect a lot more Local Authorities to get up to speed with enforcements.

The policies, however, are not intended to be onerous. The initial step to take is to get an EPC lodged on the register and should it be less than an E, to demonstrate 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 may then be able to apply for. We can provide expect recommendations 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.
What Dwellings Are Exempt From Requiring An EPC?
  • Temporary buildings that will be used for less than two years.
  • Industrial sites and non-residential agricultural buildings that use little energy.
  • Residential buildings that are used for less than 4 months of the year.
  • Listed buildings.
  • Places of worship.
  • Stand-alone buildings (of less than 50 m2 )
  • Is It Possible To Let A Property Without Having An Energy Performance Certificate?
    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 must be at least an “E”, or the property must have a valid exemption.

    The EPC rates a property from A 100 (the best) to G 0 ( the least efficient). The rating of an typical UK property is a D60 Rental properties should be at least an E rating. If it is not an E then the property owner would have to carry out some of the recommendations on the EPC to improve the rating. If an E rating can not be attained, 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?
    Properties rented out in the private market will be required to possess an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) with a minimum energy performance rating of ‘E’. It will be unlawful to rent out a dwelling which does not have a minimum E rating unless the property has an exemption.
    What Is The Fine For Not Having An EPC?
    A fixed penalty charge of £200 may be issued for failure to comply in the following instances: on sale or rent the vendor or landlord failed to make a valid domestic EPC available free of charge to the future buyer or tenant at the earliest opportunity.
    Can An EPC Fail?
    Simply no. The EPC is not a pass or fail. Even so, various 3rd parties may require the EPC achieve a certain rating before they decide to continue. One example might be a financial institution loaning funds against a rental property, might require that the EPC is at least an “E”.
    What Does EPC E Mean?
    The Energy Performance Certificate will rate the property either A,B,C,D,E,F, or G. An E rating is the legal minimum a dwelling can be in order to rent out. Also, it is becoming the baseline required by banking institutions when loaning funds against a property.

    It’s not saying you won’t be able to borrow the funds if it is below an E, but there will probably be extra 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 higher. All EPCs are lodged on a national register at epcregister.com. The EPC will be good for a further 10 years.
    Is An EPC A Legal Requirement?
    Indeed, an Energy Performance Certificate is a legal requirement for all rental properties and homes that are for sale as well as all newly built properties. By law, the incoming resident must be given an EPC.
    Are All Listed Buildings Exempt From An EPC?
    All listed properties are exempt from needing an EPC. A listed building is one as being identified in the database of Historic England as a listed building. The list can be found on the historic england website.
    Can You Evict A Tenant Without An EPC?
    If the tenancy began or was renewed after 1 October 2015, a landlord cannot evict using a section 21 notice (no fault eviction) if they have not given the tenant an Energy Performance Certficate. If an EPC is subsequently obtained, a time period of 8 weeks needs to pass before applying for a section 21 notice.

    Besides the Energy Performance Certificate the tenant will have had to be also provided with a gas safety certificate and 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 correct legal advice to ensure all documents is presented to the courts correctly.

    Could You Market A Property Without Having An EPC?
    Yes a property can be advertised without having an EPC but only subject to one having been planned to be done within seven days. If after making all realistic efforts one can not be acquired within that period, then a further 21 days is permitted to obtain one.
    Is It A Legal Requirement For An EPC When Renting?
    From April 2020, all dwellings for rental will 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 must be a minimum rating of an E, unless a valid exemption has been applied for.
    Just How Much Will An Energy Performance Certficate Cost
    The cost of an Energy Performance Certificate is typically in the range of £50 – £120. This depends on size of property and location. Typically it is cheaper if going straight to an approved Assessor instead of via a third party for instance an Estate Agent or a marketing company.
    We love Houghton Regis and we are pleased to be one of the better EPC companies in the area. {Get in touch.}
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