Frequently Asked Questions
1) What is an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)?
2) What is a HIP?
3) What does an EPC contain?
4) Does every property need an EPC?
5) What buildings don't need an EPC?
6) Do I need an EPC if I am selling or renting my property to a friend or family member?
7) What is involved in carrying out an Energy Performance Assessment?
8) Who will visit my property to carry out the Energy Performance Assessment?
9) How long will it take to carry out an Energy Performance Assessment?
10) How long does it take to obtain a Home Information Pack (HIP's)?
11) Do I need to be present at the time of the Energy Performance Assessment?
12) Do I need to lift carpets, floor boards, roof panels etc. in preparation for the Energy Performance Assessment?
13) Will my personal usage of the property be taken into account in the Energy Performance Assessment?
14) How much does an EPC cost?
15) How much does a Home Information Pack (HIP) cost?
16) How long is an EPC valid for?
17) How long is a Home Information pack valid?
18) How long will it take to receive the EPC after the assessment has been carried out?
19) What format will the Home Information Pack and EPC be delivered in?
20) What forms of payment do you accept?
21) What happens if I disagree with the results of the EPC?
22) What is the average Energy Efficiency grade?
23) How can I improve my rating?
24) Do I have to carry out the recommendations in the EPC?
25) What are the implications of not having an HIP or EPC?
26) Can someone else apply on my behalf?
27) Do I have to be selling or renting my property to obtain an EPC?
28) What can I use an EPC for?
29) I am due to have building work or and improvements made to my property, can an DEA take this into account before work is carried out?
1) What is an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)?
The EPC produced by ABC Energy Watch will provide home owners, tenants and buyers information on the energy efficiency of their property. The EPC will provide an A-G rating, with 'A' rating being the most efficient, and 'G' is the least efficient, for both the Energy Efficiency and Environmental Impact (CO 2) of your property. The ratings are shown in a colour coded visual graph and similar to those found on many domestic appliances. The EPC will also give information on where a property is wasting energy and provide recommendations on how that energy can be saved. Together with a monetary estimate on the amount of savings that could be made and the cost to implement the recommendations stated to enable you to not only save money on your fuel bills but also help the environment.
As all properties are used differently, the ratings are measured using the 'standard occupancy' rule, and doesn't take into account how the property is used by the current occupiers. This enables the end user to compare the energy efficiency of different properties, which could affect the end value or rent charged. Evidence shows that those properties with higher ratings will be more desirable and therefore easier to sell or rent.
Click the following link to see a sample Energy Performance Certificate.
Return to top
2) What is a HIP?
A HIP is a Home Information Pack which contains a collection of documents relating to a property which is offered for sale. It is a legal requirement to have a HIP in place which must be provided free of charge to any potential buyers on the first day the property is offered for sale.
The HIP pack is made up of standard compulsory documents and additional optional documents. The HIP must contain the following documents;
| • |
Home Information Pack Index |
| • |
Property Information Questionnaire (PIQ) |
| • |
Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) |
| • |
Sale Statement |
| • |
Land Registry title and Plan Documents |
| • |
Local Land Charges Register Search |
| • |
Standard Enquires of Local Authority |
| • |
Drainage and Water Enquires |
Click the following link to see a sample Home Information Pack.
Return to top
3) What does an EPC contain?
ABC Energy Watch will produce an Energy Performance Certificate that will contain two visual graphs showing ratings for both the energy efficiency and environmental impact of the property. One rating is the current performance of the property and the second provides a potential rating, giving an indication of what could be achieved if the recommendations set out in the report are followed.
The EPC also provides information on the estimated energy use, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and fuel costs both currently used and the potential available for that individual property.
The remaining pages of the EPC contain recommendations and further measures that could be put in place to increase the energy efficiency and reduce the carbon footprint of your property. Each recommendation will provide an estimated initial cost and some advice on how to obtain these improvements. The EPC will also show the estimated savings that could be made and impact they would have on the rating given to the property.
Return to top
4) Does every property need an EPC?
An EPC is required by law when a building is constructed, rented or let. All sellers of homes need to ensure an EPC is included in the Home Information Pack (HIP) and available to any potential buyers free of charge, and as from the 1st October 2008, all landlords need to provide an EPC to all potential tenants free of charge.
Return to top
5) What buildings don't need an EPC?
The following types of buildings don't need an EPC when they built, sold or rented;
| • |
Places of Worship |
| • |
Temporary buildings that will be used for less than 2 years |
| • |
Buildings with a total floor area of less than 50 square meters and that don't provide living accommodation for a single household |
| • |
Industrial Units, workshops or non-residential agricultural buildings that use low energy and don't have a method of internally conditioning, i.e. no heating, ventilation or cooling systems |
| • |
Properties with lease renewals or restrictions, unless the floor area has been changed or modified |
Return to top
6) Do I need an EPC if I am selling or renting my property to a friend or family member?
Yes, government legislation now requires that EPC's are to be produced for all private sales and rents as well as those marketed through estate or letting agents.
Return to top
7) What is involved in carrying out an Energy Performance Assessment?
ABC Energy Watch will visit your property and collect specific data as set out in the government guidelines. They will need to access to all areas of the property including lofts, basements and any outbuildings or garages to enable them to take measurements of the property, produce a floor plan and understand how each area of the property is used.
Each room will be assessed to ascertain the type of heating, glazing and lighting in the property, and a visual inspection of the loft space will be necessary to establish the type and amount of any roof insulation.
The DEA will need to ascertain the main heating source and any secondary heating, such as gas fires or storage heaters. Supporting photographs will also be taken of the property for audit purposes but these will not be published in the final certificate or available for public view.
In order to confirm information provided or discovered, it would be useful for you provide any guarantees or receipts for any improvement work undertaken such as cavity wall insulation or double glazing.
Once the DEA has left your property the information collected will be inputted into the software, which enables the EPC to be produced. The EPC is then lodged at the Landmark Registry and your Report Reference Number (RRN) will be given to you to enable you to retrieve your report online at any time.
Return to top
8) Who will visit my property to carry out the Energy Performance Assessment?
At ABC Energy Watch, all our assessors are qualified Domestic Energy Assessors, accredited with BRE and have untaken a basic disclosure record with the Criminal Record Bureau so you can be sure the individual visiting your property is professional, trustworthy and honest. Each DEA will carry an ID card with a photograph, which confirms their identity and can be checked on the Landmark Register or by clicking here www.hcrregister.com
Return to top
9) How long will it take to carry out an Energy Performance Assessment?
The amount of time the Domestic Energy Assessor will be at your property is dependent on the size and structure of the property. In order to provide a detailed, accurate and thorough report, you can expect the DEA to take between 45 minutes to 3 hours.
Return to top
10) How long does it take to obtain a Home Information Pack (HIP's)?
A Home Information Pack can usually be obtained within 5-10 working days. This does however depend on the Domestic Energy Assessor being able to gain access to the property to carry out the EPC and the seller of the property completing the Property Information Questionnaire (PIQ), and returning all required information as quickly as possible.
Return to top
11) Do I need to be present at the time of the Energy Performance Assessment?
No, we are happy to collect keys from you, or letting agents, or make arrangements with tenants direct. You may also like to meet us at the property to allow entry and then allow us to leave the property secure when we leave.
Return to top
12) Do I need to lift carpets, floor boards, roof panels etc. in preparation for the Energy Performance Assessment?
No. The assessment is non evasive and the Domestic Energy Assessor will make all reasonable efforts to visually inspect each of the required areas of the property without disruption of any floor covering, etc. Where this is not physically possible or safe to do so, predicted or assumed data will be used by the software system.
Return to top
13) Will my personal usage of the property be taken into account in the Energy Performance Assessment?
ABC Energy Watch will collect information based on the structure and features of the property, in order to produce the EPC using the 'Standard Occupancy' rule as set on in the government guidelines. This will not take into account your personal usage of the property to enable the rating to be compared against similar properties.
Return to top
14) How much does an EPC cost?
The EPC can seem like yet another cost in the housing market at a time when cash flow is already tight. At ABC Energy Watch, we believe in keeping our costs to a minimum to enable us to provide a competitive pricing structure which is based on the size and location of your property.
Prices start from as little as £55 for a small property, with discounts available for multiple property instructions, and properties in the same area.
Please contact ABC Energy Watch on 01473 271800 or click here to send an e-mail, for a no obligation competitive quotation or more information.
Return to top
15) How much does a Home Information Pack (HIP) cost?
ABC Energy Watch can provide the complete Home Information Pack, including the Energy Performance Certificate, for as little as £235 for a freehold registered property. Additional costs may be incurred for leasehold or unregistered properties as extra searches and information is required.
Please contact ABC Energy Watch on 01473 271800 or click here to send an e-mail, for a no obligation competitive quotation or more information.
Return to top
16) How long is an EPC valid for?
EPC's produced by ABC Energy Watch are valid for 10 years from the date of the certification, unless they have been produced as part of a Home Information Pack (HIP), in which case they are valid for 3 years.
Return to top
17) How long is a Home Information pack valid?
The Home Information Pack is valid for the entire period the property is for sale but certain searches may need to be refreshed after 12 months if the property has not sold. The Energy Performance Certificate, when forming part of the HIP, is valid for 3 years.
Return to top
18) How long will it take to receive the EPC after the assessment has been carried out?
ABC Energy Watch aim to complete the EPC, lodge it with the Landmark Register and contact you by e-mail, telephone or letter, whichever you prefer, with confirmation of the report being completed and your Report Reference Number (RRN) within 48 hours of visiting your property.
Return to top
19) What format will the Home Information Pack and EPC be delivered in?
ABC Energy Watch are committed to being environmentally friendly, and as part of this commitment, we run a paperless office as far as possible. We therefore do not print HIP's or EPC's as standard and prefer to contact you and any related parties such as letting agents, tenants, estate agents, solicitors etc, via e-mail, letter or by telephone to provide full instructions on how to access your HIP and EPC online. At this point you will be able to either save the HIP or EPC on your electronic files or print out if you wish. For a small additional cost, a full colour printed, ring bound version of your HIP or EPC can be provided.
Return to top
20) What forms of payment do you accept?
ABC Energy Watch accepts all types of payment including cash, cheque, credit or debit card and online bank transfers.
Return to top
21) What happens if I disagree with the results of the EPC?
Data collected from the property is factual information and is then entered into the software in the format approved by government legislation; therefore there is little room for error. If however you believe your details have been entered incorrectly, please do not hesitate to contact your Domestic Energy Assessor or ABC Energy Watch direct who will be only too happy to discuss any concerns with you.
Return to top
22) What is the average Energy Efficiency grade?
The average property in the UK has a rating of between bands D and E for both energy efficiency and environmental impact.
Return to top
23) How can I improve my rating?
Within the EPC there is a section on recommendations and ways to improve the energy efficiency and reduce the carbon omission at your property. By following these recommendations, the EPC also shows you the potential rating that could be achieved.
Return to top
24) Do I have to carry out the recommendations in the EPC?
You are under no obligation to carry out the recommendations contained in the EPC, they are purely provided as a guide to inform you on ways to improve the energy efficiency of your property.
However, by following the recommendations, you are not only reducing your fuel bills but also helping the environment. It could also make your property more attractive for sale or rent by making it more energy efficient.
Return to top
25) What are the implications of not having an HIP or EPC?
HIP and EPC's are now mandatory under the government legislation and as with any offense committed that breaks the law a penalty is in place. Non-compliance could result in a fine of £200, and you may also find that you have difficultly completing the sale of your property, or your tenancy agreement may become invalid.
Return to top
26) Can someone else apply on my behalf?
ABC Energy Watch are happy to take instructions to carry out an HIP or EPC on your behalf by anyone that has your authorisation. We can book appointments with letting agents, estate agents or tenants direct or collect keys from you at your convenience.
Return to top
27) Do I have to be selling or renting my property to obtain an EPC?
No, you can instruct ABC Energy Watch Ltd at any time to carry out an energy assessment if you are interested in ways to reduce your carbon footprint, make your home more energy efficiency and looking to save money on your utility bills.
Return to top
28) What can I use an EPC for?
| • |
An EPC can be used for inclusion in a Home Information Pack (HIP), which is required by law whenever a property is offered for sale |
| • |
If you are a landlord, you will need to make an EPC available to prospective tenants the first time you let a property after 1st October 2008 |
| • |
You can use the information contained in the EPC to reduce your fuel bills, improve the energy efficiency of your property and help cut carbon emission |
| • |
An EPC can help you compare different properties and choose a more energy efficiency home to buy or rent |
Return to top
29) I am due to have building work or and improvements made to my property, can an DEA take this into account before work is carried out?
It would be best to inform ABC Energy Watch at the time the appointment is made of any work or improvements to be carried out, we can then discuss with you and advise whether it would be better to complete the EPC after the work has been completed, or if a initial assessment can be made with updated version added at a later date.
Return to top |
