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Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) were introduced in October 2008 to help improve the energy efficiency of buildings and even though the Home Information Packs (HIPS) are no longer a requirement, anybody selling or renting a home or commercial premises needs to produce an EPC certificate by law. Energy Performance Certificates provide ‘A’ to ‘G’ ratings for the building, with ‘A’ being the most energy efficient and ‘G’ being the least efficient. They are produced by independently accredited energy assessors who are usually attached to a surveyor´s office or estate agents, and are required when “a building has a roof and walls and uses energy to condition an indoor climate”. This means it has heating, air conditioning or mechanical ventilation. For example, a garden shed would not need an EPC if it doesn’t have any heating.
Builders in London marketing off-plan construction projects have to provide a Predicted Energy Assessment (PEA) to potential purchasers with a full energy performance certificate on completion and if a building is made up of separate units, each with its own heating system, each unit will need an EPC.
The only exceptions from this legal requirement are-
- Places of worship
- Temporary buildings with an expected lifespan of less than 2 years
- Buildings with appropriate permissions for demolition and re-development
- Stand alone buildings of less than 50m2 of useful floor area
- Non-residential buildings that do not use energy to condition the indoor climate – such as barns or car parks.
If you have not yet seen an Energy Performance Certificate, please click on this link – Example Energy Performance Certificate (pdf file 118Kb) – or ask your local builder in London on how you can save energy and save money at the same time.
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