Why would you want an Energy Performance Certificate for your home? Aside from legally requiring an Energy Performance Certificate if you are selling or renting your home there is other reasons for obtaining an
Energy Performance Certificate. The rocketing cost of heating your home is a major worry in many households and people are finding it increasingly difficult to make ends meet.
The benefit of having an Energy Performance Certificate is that it details the areas within your home where savings can be made many of them substantial! This means there are actions for you to take in hand and change things that will immediately start to save you cash.
You can use your Energy Performance Certificate to target areas within your home that are costing you money every day. The EPC will assess things like the insulation in your attic and cavity walls, the type of windows and heating system that you have. With the scoring system that the Energy Performance Certificate uses you will be able to decide what areas may be a conce and act on this. Alte atively if your home has a good rating you can use this as an advertising feature for prospective buyers or tenants.
the Energy Performance Certificate process 
Step by Step Guide There is a standard Domestic Energy Performance Certificate form that records all details for the residential home to be inspected. The form is basically a check list for all the details that need to be recorded, most points have a rang of options where the relevant box is ticked, other areas allow measurements to be recorded. On arrival at the property a picture of the overall property is taken and stored and the type of roof slates or tiles is noted. On entering the property the number of floors is counted, and a sketch of the floor plan is made, where attic conversions or "room in the roof" arrangements all these details are recorded. The length, width and height of each room is taken and from this the volume of the rooms is calculated. What rooms are exte al is noted and the area of exte al wall is noted as these will have a higher heat loss.
For each room the size and type of windows are noted, also the type of light fitting/bulb, low energy lights having an excellent rating. The type of heating system is also important where combi boilers score very well given their efficiency. Additionally the way the heating system is controlled is a factor also, where a thermo static control is a plus. Should the home be divided into separate heating zones this improves the Energy Rating, and of course Thermo Static Valves (TVR's) where used are noted. If a hot water cylinder exists it is noted and the thickness of lagging recorded. In the loft/attic the depth of insulation is noted.
Other details like open fires and weather the walls are insulated cavity walls are all recorded on the check list. Where the property has been added to with extensions these are all assessed on as separate items and then pulled together in the final calculations.
The check list is then taken back to the office and the property details uploaded to the Energy Performance Certificate software. The software is standard across all Energy Performance Certificate Assessors and regardless what individual carries out the assessment the result will always retu the same.
The output from the computer software is the Energy Performance Certificate. The certificate has basically 4 parts. The first is the property address, the second is the unique EPC reference number, part three is the current and potential energy efficiency rating. Where a higher rating is a more efficient and cheaper to run home. The forth part is the average rating for Northe Ireland or the bench mark for your home. The Energy Efficiency Rating for a property is from A-G, A being an excellent rating and G the poorest. The potential Energy Efficiency for your property is also shown and this is a guide to the rating and energy efficiency the property could achieve if some improvements where made.
Energy Performance Certificate
EPC Northe Ireland
Energy Performance Certificate uses
Where the Energy Performance Certificate is used. For residential properties that are offered for sale after the 30th June 2008 an Energy Performance Certificate, by law, must be available for the first person who views the property.
All newly constructed buildings after the 30th September 2008 would require a Energy Performance Certificate. All commercial buildings marketed for sale or rent and residential rentals after 31st December 2008 will require an Energy Performance Certificate also.
On Construction EPC
Commercial EPC
