Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) – Energy Assessments & EPCs

Energy Performance Certificates (EPC)

Nationally Recognised Accredited Provider of EPCs

An EPC is a certificate that details how energy efficient your property is and the environmental impact of your property. It also suggests improvements that can be made to the property and indicates how much money could be saved if the recommendations were acted upon. An EPC is required by law whenever a property is constructed, sold or rented. At EPC Bright, we will provide you with EPCs at competitive prices. We also provide follow-on support and guidance.

An EPC is produced/lodged after the energy assessment has been completed and paid for. It is carried out in compliance with the current Reduced data Standard assessment Procedure (RdSAP), as specified by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (previously the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities.) The assessment for an average 3 bed house will take around 50 minutes.

The assessor will measure the property and sketch a floor plan, in addition to this they will note how the property is constructed, heated, lit, ventilated and how hot water is produced.

It is an evidence based assessment, a number of photographs are required. If the property has been altered or extended the planning permission and building control final certificate may also be required, other evidence may be acceptable such as an invoice from contractors which details hidden works such as internal wall or flat roof insulation. The data is normally collected using a tablet or similar device and will be retained for auditing purposes.

Access to all rooms, loft spaces, heating/hot water systems and external aspects of the property will be required. In some cases it may also be necessary to access to the garage.

Benefits of EPCs

Apart from an EPC being a legal requirement, there are many other benefits. It is a quick way to find out what a property is capable of in terms of its energy efficiency and what needs to be put in place to achieve this improvement.

An EPC documents how the property is constructed, how insulated, heated, lit, ventilated and how hot water is produced.

Please get in touch with us today for a free quote. In addition to EPCs, we also offer Retro Fit and Legionella Risk assessments.

Top Tips for a better EPC rating

Ensure fixed light fittings have LED or Fluorescent lamps fitted.
If you have a hot water cylinder, make sure there is plenty of insulation around it. Good insulation can make a significant difference to the rating.
Loft insulation. If we cannot see the loft is insulated because either we cannot gain loft access or because the loft is boarded over, please have any paperwork available to prove loft insulation is fitted.
If you have cavity wall insulation which is not visible due to rendering etc, make sure you have the paperwork available.
If your double-glazed windows were fitted after 2002 and the date is not visible in the units, please have paperwork available to show the installation date.
Boiler information: We will try to establish the exact make and model of the gas or oil heating boiler. Where this is possible the exact efficiency of the boiler can be established. This is likely to be higher than the software default setting for that type of boiler. Establishing the boilers details from visual inspection can be difficult, so please have any information manuals or service history available.

We are providers of Energy Performance Certificates for properties from Newport to Trowbridge and Stroud to Taunton. If you have any questions about our EPC Service please call us and we will be happy to help you. We will provide your EPC at fair a price, no ‘extra’ cost on the day. The price quoted is the price you will pay. At EPC Bright we provide a personal and professional EPC service. We look forward to providing your EPC so please call now for a fixed cost and to book an appointment.

When is an EPC legally required?

It is a legal requirement to obtain an EPC under the following circumstances:

New-build or newly formed dwellings
The property is offered for sale or has been sold
The property is available to rent or has been let
Where improvements have been carried out which require an EPC for Building Regulations compliance
Change of legal ownership
To prove compliance with Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES)

When may an EPC also be required?

When serving a Section 22 notice
When securing buy to let funding, lenders are now asking for an EPC to prove a rating over E39 (some lenders are asking for a rating of C69 in line with the proposed MEES rating for April 2025)
Claiming Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI)
Local authority House of
Multiple Occupation (HMO) licensing

The Regulations apply to all domestic PRS properties in England and Wales which are:

Domestic Private Rental Sector (PRS) properties

Circumstances where an EPC may not be required

Place of worship and for religious activities
A temporary building with a planned time of use of two years or less
Stand-alone (detached) buildings with a total useful floor area of less than 50m²
Furnished holiday accommodation where the occupancy is via licence and/or the occupant is not responsible for meeting the energy costs
Non self-contained dwelling
Where a property let on a regulated tenancy has been let continuously to the same tenant prior to 1st October 2008 (when EPCs were introduced for rented properties), it is likely that the property will not have an EPC (and may not be legally required to have one). In this case the property will be excluded from the requirement to meet the minimum standard

Improvement tips

Quick low cost (<£100) fixes: -

Low energy lighting
Remove open fires/gas live fuel effect
Block up open fireplaces
Draught proof windows and doors
Hot water cylinder insulation
Heated corridor
Loft insulation

Common errors

Removing night storage heater
Installing panel heaters without timer or thermostat
Changing from dual tariff when immersion heater is present.
Allowing roof space to be used for storage
Boarding roof space