Electrical and Energy

Perhaps the first question to be answered is - what is an Energy Performance Certificate? The quick answer is that the certificate will tell you exactly what the energy performance of your home is, and will give you recommendations on making your home more energy efficient. Under the Housing Act 2004 all homes being sold or rented in the UK must have an Energy Performance Certificate. Originally this was part of the notorious Home Information Packs, but in July 2010 the government suspended HIPs, retaining the EPC's - probably because they're a good idea.

If you are thinking of selling a home then you must provide one of the certificates for any interested buyers to see. It's easy to get a certificate as you just need to contact an accredited domestic energy assessor who is a fully trained to carry out the survey to the correct standard. You can either contact your estate agent for their recommendations on who to use, or you can search online using the Energy Performance Certificate Register website which is run by a company called Landmark on behalf of the government. Your local phone book may also have the details of accredited domestic energy assessors.

The current cost of a certificate is approximately $100 for an average sized house and will take about a week to complete. You need to commission your certificate before your property goes on the market. Once you have the certificate it is valid for 10 years.

The certificate shows two different levels of ratings, one that applies to the energy usage of your home, and one, which applies to the carbon dioxide emissions. A higher rating indicates a more energy efficient home. It is presented in very easy to read tables which show you the current rating and the potential rating, and the potential savings that could be made if you choose to follow the recommended measures.

The rating of your home is graded from A to G, with A being the most efficient. An average home will generally receive an E grading. The same calculations are applied to all properties so it's easy to compare the energy efficiency of different homes. The calculations are based on standardised assumptions of occupancy, heating and geographical location.

The certificate takes into account specific elements such as whether you have cavity wall insulation, whether the loft is insulated, whether windows are double glazed and how the home is heated. It also takes into account the source of hot water and lighting efficiency.

Your certificate will include a section showing recommendations for improving the energy rating. Some of the suggestions may cost less than $500 to implement while others will cost more. The recommendations show the estimated savings per year, as well as the improved energy efficiency rating.

Examples of recommendations include:

· Cavity wall insulation - this fills in the gaps between the inner and outer layers of your external walls with integrating material which reduces heat loss. It is a simple process as small holes drilled into the outer walls so that insulation material can be pumped in by a professional company. After the walls have been filled the holes can be made good. The beauty of doing this is that you will get nice certificates of guarantee for the work which may help you sell your home.

· Low energy lighting - this is a really easy one to do as you simply need to replace your ordinary bulbs with low energy bulbs if you haven't already done so.

· Loft insulation - this is a measure that most people could competently do themselves.

· Fitting a condensing boiler - condensing boilers are much more efficient than other types of boilers but can be quite expensive to fit so you may only want to consider this measure when your existing boiler needs replacing. These boilers also need a drain so this may be worth considering if you are intending to remodel your kitchen.

· Fitting double glazing - double glazing can significantly improve energy efficiency by reducing drafts around windows. They also provide better security and less chance of condensation forming, but are quite expensive to fit.

There is a government run website where you can enter your Energy Performance Certificate number to have access to an online tool for making your home more energy efficient. This website will give you an instant report that you are able to change according to your plans for your home. For instance if you are intending to add cavity wall insulation then it will show you how much money you might save heating your home. It allows you to play around with lots of different combinations to see which will save you the most money and which is the most energy efficient to do.

People are becoming more conscious of the need to reduce their carbon emissions, and many are also conscious of the rising costs of heating a home. Implementing some of the measures highlighted by a certificate can potentially save a homeowner a lot of money, which may give them that warm fuzzy feeling that comes from living in a cosy home that is affordable to heat, made all the sweeter by knowing they are reducing their carbon footprint.

These certificates are definitely something for buyers to bear in mind when viewing properties as they show the projected costs of heating and lighting a home. A property that scores more highly may prove to be more desirable than a similar property scoring lower, with higher cost recommendations. An Energy Performance Certificate can be viewed as a positive measure, which can show us how to save money and the environment.

How do I get an Energy Performance Certificate? It's easy to obtain, and in the great scheme of things its costs are relatively low, your resource for selling it yourself. Buying a home with an up to date EPC enables the new owners to plan improvements that will be cost efficient, which has to be a good thing.