Many people ask me, "do I need an EPC?" The answer to that question is "Yes" if you are renting or selling a property.
EPC's are required for Domestic, Commercial, new build properties And Public Building ie. Schools.
For landlords, if you rent a property you do require an EPC, they are good for 10 years and relate only to the property and not the tenant. So your tenant can change and this does not affect the certificate. You have to provide your tenant with a copy of the EPC. Once the EPC is created, it goes on to the EPC Register which is run by landmark. You can always get a copy from the register, www.epcregister.com
If you make any changes to the property such as a new boiler, loft insulation, cavity wall insulation, new double glazing etc, then a new certificate is required as the property would have changed.
For those of your selling a property, an EPC is required. Your Estate Agent will require this before they list/market your property. Some of them will list the property however they have 21 days to obtain a certificate. After the 21 days they can no longer market the property. You Solicitor will require the EPC prior to completing on your sale.
The EPC details the utility cost or " Running" cost for the property. This is calculated based on the age of the property, the heating system, heating controls, hot water system, levels of insulation and lighting to list a few. And is based on "typical" usage for a property this size. And will not be affected by how much you run the boiler as an example.
This will give the prospective tenant or buyer an indication of what they can expect to pay to run the building.
A good example is, a property with an old back boiler, they have an efficiency rating of 65%. They may work fine however consume a lot of gas to effectively heat the space within the property. You can then replace this with a condensing combi boiler which has an efficiency of %86 or higher. In real terms the difference you would pay on your gas could be £400.00 or £600.00 a year depending on the size of the property and the heat demand.
The EPC will also describe how the property is built and what levels on insulation are in the loft, if the walls are insulated etc. It will make recommendations where improvements can be made and how much savings you will make by each improvement.
It is a really good document providing lots of information and showing what the carbon footprint of the property is.
If you have an EPC and have any questions about it you can contact us
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