EPC Assessor
Because an EPC is a legal requirement for those wishing to sell or lease a property, legislation insists that the EPC is prepared by an approved energy assessor. For domestic properties, an accredited domestic energy assessor is required; for non-domestic properties the type of assessor depends on the level of the building. Registers of the correct assessors are available via the government website, and EPC For You can supply you with an EPC assessor from that register that is bespoke to your needs.
All EPC assessors must be able to demonstrate that they are competent and possess the appropriate skills to conduct energy assessments and produce an accurate EPC. They must also belong to an approved government accreditation scheme of which there are 11 such schemes run by differing bodies, such as the Building Research Establishment (BRE) and the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). All schemes must have been registered with the Department for Communities and Local Government.
Each EPC assessor is required to undertake training under the specific scheme and then achieve accreditation. The training deals with calculating heat loss perimeters, assessing age of construction, understanding energy efficiency recommendations, as well as dealing with the comprehension of reduced data standard assessment procedure. EPC For You assessors also have complaints procedures in place and appropriate Public and Professional Indemnity Insurance.
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EPC Assessment
With EPC For You, a friendly and professional EPC assessor will visit the property to conduct the assessment, accessing every room in the property. Heating and lighting are particularly important in producing an accurate assessment and the number and type of fixed lighting will be considered. Handbooks for the particular model of any boiler for the property may also help the energy assessor, although it is not essential. The energy assessor will note room thermostats and thermostatic radiator valves fitted as well as any other forms of heating such as an open fire, particularly in domestic properties.
An energy assessor may take photographs of the property to help them if they need to override certain assumptions in relation to insulation values that the property may benefit from, despite it not being the norm for that type of property. It will also go towards ensuring that audit requirements are complied with – it remains part of the process that accreditation schemes make checks on work undertaken by assessors to confirm that they are working to quality standards.
Finally, the assessor will take measurements of the dimensions of the property and note any extensions or alterations.
Using their observations, the EPC For You energy assessor places them into a government-approved software program in order to perform the energy efficiency calculation. The program gives a value for the energy efficiency rating as well as a recommended value which represents the potential improvement that could be made to the property for energy conservation purposes. Based on this information, the EPC will show how good or bad your property’s energy efficiency is. The EPC assessor will also provide practical recommendations to increase the building’s energy efficiency rating. If you need further advice, we can talk you through the scores and recommendations.
- Professional EPC Assessors
- Quality Standards
- Government-approved Software