What does an EPC check involve?

The assessor will do a quick head-and-shoulders inspection of your loft, if it is accessible. The depth of the insulation will be measured, photographed and the type of party wall between you and any neighbouring property will be checked. The type of walls your property has is very important. The assessor will measure the thickness of the walls, photograph and check for any insulation that is present. The assessor will also look to see whether you have a thermostat, a programmer, thermostatic valves, and any other heating controls that may be present and will note and photograph these. The type of window you have – for example, single, double or triple glazing – and the age of the windows will be checked. With double glazing, the width of the gap between the window panes will also be measured. The number of lights in the property and the number of energy efficient lights are checked. The assessor will add up the number of rooms in the property classified as ‘habitable’, excluding rooms like utility rooms and small kitchens. The assessor will then create a simple floor plan of the property to work out the area of the property and the amount of heat loss and partition walls. As the surveyor goes around the property, they will need to take multiple photos to gather evidence to support why they are entering certain values into the software. If there are things you have installed, like wall insulation, room-in-roof insulation, or floor insulation for example, that are not easily able to be measured on the day, the surveyor will need to see documentation showing exactly what has been installed. Producing your EPCFollowing this visit, your EPC is created using all the measurements and evidence gathered on site.

So what is involved in an EPC survey? Firstly, you will need to find an accredited DEA to obtain a residential EPC. For residential properties, the EPC survey should take no longer than 30 minutes. The EPC assessor will have to access every room and the loft if possible. What will the assessor look at during the EPC survey? The EPC assessor will require access to all of the rooms in the property, including (where applicable) loft hatch, room in the roof, extensions, conservatory, electric and gas meters. They will draw a sketch plan of the overall floor area of the property. Once this is done they will work through each room taking precise measurements and capturing all relevant data: Type of property and age Construction materials Home insulation Wall thicknesses Heating systems & controls Hot water cylinder details Water cylinder insulation Secondary heating systems (if applicable) Floor construction Window glazing type Lighting, especially you are using energy-saving light bulbs

An EPC contains information about a property’s energy use and typical energy costs. An EPC gives a property an energy efficiency rating from A to G and is valid for 10 years. You’ll need to pay for an EPC from an accredited assessor.