Need an EPC in Stonebridge?

Fixed Price EPC – only £59

EPC

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We Are EPC Assessors covering the Stonebridge 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 Stonebridge is £59.

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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An EPC is a legal report that provides advice on energy saving measures that can make a property more affordable to run. EPC is short for Energy Performance Certificate. Very much the same as the energy rating seen on appliances, it will give the home a rating between an A (100) to a G (0). A typical UK residence is rated at a D60.

Why You Need One

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The most common reason for needing an EPC is for anyone who is selling or renting a home. The reason being, legally, you must give the incoming resident a valid Energy Performance. These are among the other reasons you might 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 are looking for what’s called a SAP EPC. This type of EPC is called a SAP EPC and is required by building control to show compliance with building regulations for any recent development work you might have undertaken. Should you require a SAP EPC, then CLICK HERE. If you’re unsure, just phone us for more guidance.

How To Get One Done

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An Assessor must carry out a visit to the property to obtain the necessary data for the Energy Performance Certificate. They are certified and must be a continuing member of an approved Government accreditation scheme.

Your Assessor will take dimensions of the property as well as gather information about the present lighting, heating, glazing and existing insulation. An average size home usually takes around 20 and 30 minutes..

The details are then entered into approved government software which then produces the EPC. The EPC Certificate will then be lodged on the national EPC register and you should receive it by email typically in 2 to 3 days. In the event you require it urgently, for a small additional cost, we will arrange for you to get it the same day.

That’s it, its all doneYour 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 Rating

Here we will give you some easy guidelines so that your Energy Performance Certificate shows your property in the very best light.

Image of an EPC energy rating

These will enhance your EPC rating

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In most cases your Assessor should be able to obtain most of the information they require by just going around the property. The data entered into the software is based on evidence gathered during the visit.

What we need to prevent is the Assessor putting into the software the term “as built” for items which will be required where no evidence is gathered. If the term “as built” needs to be used then the software program will default to the worst case scenario based on what would have been there when the property was constructed. This may have a negative impact on the {rating of the EPC}

Whenever you can supply documentary proof of these types of improvements then these can be shown on the EPC and will likely increase the rating of your EPC.


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

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

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

• Loft conversions year it was constructed – building control sign off, dated architects drawings.

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

These make the biggest difference

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The 3 mains items that have the most significant impact on the energy rating are:

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

Main Source of Fuel
UK homes are generally heated by either of these fuel sources: gas, peak rate electric, off peak electric, oil, bulk or bottled LPG. So for example a property or home heated by gas would cost you around 4.64 pence per kwh and the identical property or home heated by bottled LPG 23p per kwh. {*source 2019 Nottingham Energy Partnership.} So with a typically semi-detached which uses in the region of 12,000 kwh to heat the home, it would cost you £596 to heat by gas when compared with £2,760 for bottled LPG.. Therefore running costs affects the EPC rating. Higher costs equates to 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.

These make less difference

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Double glazing
Although improvements to the double glazing does make a difference, the biggest increase is only really achieved when improving from single glazing to doubled glazing. If you are modernising from pre 2002 upvc double glazing, this will only show as a modest increase in the energy rating of the home. With upvc double glazing the perception is normally sensed by the customer in terms of cosiness from a decrease in draughts. Because the EPC doesn’t consider the condition of any particular object, this comfort gain is not measured.

 

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

Stonebridge Landlord EPC Services

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

Look at our guidelines for quick advice. We offer discounts for several properties.

Letting agent handing over key

EPCs And Rental Properties

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As From April 2020, all existing rented properties must have a valid Energy Performance Certificate. Previous to that date an Energy Performance Certificate was only required on new rentals. Penalties and fees may 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 property from an A, the highest, to a G the lowest. To legally rent a property, the energy rating has to be at least an E. The regulations that govern this is known as The Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard or (MEES) for short. For more information on MEES visit the government website for landlord guidance.

If your property is currently 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 will have 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 managed a register of all EPCs. The register can be found at www.epcregister.com. You should check here to see if your rentals have a valid EPC and see that they meet at least the required E rating.

A recent report in the Telegraph taken from information on the register discovered that around 250,000 landlords are yet to comply with the new rules. The information is available here. Make sure you are not one of those. Over time, we anticipate an increasing number of local authorities to get up to speed with enforcements.

The regulations, 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 demonstrate that you are currently taking or have taken actions to get to an E. Even if it doesn’t attain an E, there are specific 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.
What Dwellings Are Exempt From Requiring An EPC?
  • Places of worship.
  • Industrial sites and non-residential agricultural buildings that use little energy.
  • Listed buildings.
  • Stand-alone buildings (of less than 50 m2 )
  • Residential buildings that are used for less than 4 months of the year.
  • Temporary buildings that will be used for less than two years.
  • Is It Possible To Let A Property Without Having An Energy Performance Certificate?
    No. From April 2020 all rental homes need to have a valid EPC recorded 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). An average UK property is a D60. Rental properties should be at the 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 lift the rating. If an E rating can not be reached, then an exemption can be applied for by going to the Government website and applying for an exemption on the PRS register.

    Is There A Minimum EPC rating to Let A Property?
    Homes rented out in the private market will be required to have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) with a minimum energy performance rating of ‘E’. It will be unlawful to rent out a property which does not have a minimum E rating unless the property has an exemption.
    What Is Penalty For Not Having An EPC?
    A fixed penalty charge of £200 can be issued for failure to comply in the following situations: on sale or rent the seller or landlord failed to make a valid domestic EPC available free of charge to the potential buyer or tenant at the earliest opportunity.
    Can You Fail An EPC?
    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 would be a financial institution loaning funds against a rental property, will require that the EPC is at least an “E”.
    What Does EPC E Mean?
    The Energy Performance Certificate will rate your property either A,B,C,D,E,F, or G. An E rating is the legal minimum a property can be to be able to rent out. Also, it is getting to be the baseline required by banking institutions when loaning funds against a home.

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

    What Happens If An EPC Runs Out During A Tenancy?
    It will have to be renewed Under the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard, all rental properties 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 will be valid for a further ten years.
    Is An EPC A Legal Requirement?
    Indeed, an Energy Performance Certificate is a legal requirement for all rental properties and homes which are for sale as well as all newly built properties. Legally, the incoming resident must be given an EPC.
    Are All Listed Buildings Exempt From An EPC?
    All listed buildings are exempt from needing an EPC. A listed building is one as being identified in the database of Historic England as a listed building. This 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 EPC. If an EPC is subsequently obtained, a time period of 8 weeks would need to pass before applying for a section 21 notice.

    Aside from the Energy Performance Certificate the tenant will have had to be also provided with a gas safety certificate and also 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 so that all documents is presented to the courts correctly.

    Can A Property Be Marketed Without An EPC?
    Yes a property may be marketed without an EPC but only subject to one having actually been requested to be carried out within 7 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 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.
    How Much Is An Energy Performance Certificate?
    The cost of an Energy Performance Certificate is usually in the range of £50 – £120. This is dependent upon size of property and location. Usually it will be cheaper if going directly to an approved Assessor instead of using a 3rd party like an Estate Agent or a marketing company.
    We’d like to thanks customers present and past in Stonebridge for using us to be there provider. It’s a great area to live and work.
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    Serving The Stonebridge Area

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    0800 0467 345