About Energy Performance Certificates.

It is part of the Government's drive to meet national targets on curbing carbon emissions. From 6 April 2012, landlords and letting agents will have just seven days to produce an EPC, whether you own a singular property or an entire buy to let portfolio. Each property needs a valid EPC which must be made available to prospective tenants upon viewing the property.  

An EPC tells you how energy efficient a property is on a scale from A to G. Its intended to give an estimate of the comparative energy efficiency of a property. The certificates are commissioned by the seller/landlord (or their agent) from an accredited Domestic Energy Assessor (DEA), who visits the property to collect the relevant data and creates the certificate. This data includes the date of construction of the property, heating systems, insulation, and double glazing, etc., and factors in the Building Regulations in force at the time of construction of the main building and any extensions. The average property in the UK is in bands D-E for both ratings.

The certificate includes recommendations on ways to improve the home's energy efficiency to save you money and help the environment, this also help landlords make informed decisions about how to upgrade the energy efficiency of their properties by recommending improvements. The reports, which cost around £50 to compile.

An Energy Performance Certificate is valid for 10 years. However, if the property has been improved the energy efficiency (e.g. by insulating the loft) then you want to get another Energy Performance Certificate, which may obtain a better "energy efficiency rating".

If a landlord does not comply with the terms of the Act and offers a property for rental without an EPC, the enforcing body (any Local Authority Weights and Measures Department) can issue a "Penalty Charges Notice" (PCN) containing a charge of £200.00.