Why is an energy performance certificate important for your home?
Energy performance certificates (EPCs for short) are necessary for any house sale, required to report on your property’s energy rating and also ways in which energy efficiency can be improved within your home.
Valid for 10 years, they are provided by a qualified surveyor, who you can organise independently or instead via your estate agent when selling your home. This can often mean a quicker and more reliable service due to the established relationship they will share.
We at Nicol, for example, have a number of East Renfrewshire and Glasgow based contacts to carry out such duties.
What is involved in receiving your energy efficiency rating?
When the assessor visits your home they will provide you with information regarding how costly it is to heat and light your property, as well as reporting on your carbon dioxide emissions.
However they will not only report on the current state of your property, your energy performance certificate will also make recommendations on improvements you could make within your home to achieve a better energy rating.
For an accurate assessment to be made, the EPC accessor will need to be able to access all rooms within your property – including the loft and electric/ gas metres. During this time they will sketch a plan of the overall floor area of the property, taking measurements and capturing all relevant data.
This will include the type of property and age, construction materials and insulation, as well as lighting and window glazing type to mention a few.
How can I prepare ahead of my energy performance certificate assessment
As we mentioned above, the EPC assessor will have to be given access to every room within your home, including the loft. Therefore you can benefit from cleaning and providing access points prior to their visit.
You should also ensure that all improvements that you have planned for your home are complete prior to booking an EPC survey. Your energy performance certificate evaluates your home at the time the survey was taken and can’t forecast for any steps which have not already been implemented.
Keeping documentation to hand for things such as underfloor and cavity insulation is also a necessity. Your energy efficiency rating measures only what the assessor can see or can be proven. By taking this step, this means that they don’t have to make any assumptions based on the age of your house and instead information is placed on fact.
Common ways to improve your home’s energy efficiency rating
Some of the most common improvement recommendations you can expect to see from your energy performance certificate include:
- Using energy efficient lighting
- Installing double glazing
- Installing insulation in your loft and walls
- Upgrading your heating
- Utilising renewable energy from sources such as wind or solar panels
- And, replacing windows and doors
Making these small changes can all contribute to your home’s value over time, due to its high energy efficiency rating.
Interested in selling your home with Nicol Estate Agents?
Feeling inspired to sell or simply interested in finding out the current value of your home?
At Nicol Estate Agents we are experienced in selling properties within East Renfrewshire, Glasgow and the surrounding areas.
Our knowledgeable team can assist in achieving a quick sale for your home, thanks to our local expertise and insight. Get in touch via mail@nicolestateagents.co.uk or phone 0141 616 3960.