7 easy ways to improve your EPC (energy performance certificate) rating

Since 2008, the Landlord has had a legal requirement to provide Tenants with an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), you will also see the rating, which is now displayed in real estate advertisements. EPCs are produced by Accredited Energy Assessors (DEA), which will be managed by one of the 6 accreditation bodies.

In this article, we will look at what the DEA is looking for in any property valuation so that you can ensure that you get the highest possible EPC rating for your property.

Key elements that the DEA will look for during the EPC survey:

• How and when the property was built

• Your heating and control system

• How water is heated

• How well is the property isolated

• Property ventilation systems

• Property coverage

The role of the DEA is to collect data about these functions, which are then entered into the software to generate an EPC rating certificate. The procedure used to calculate the results is called the Standard Abbreviated Data Evaluation Procedure (RdSAP), which is a minimized version of the Standard Evaluation Procedure (SAP).

Here are 7 easy ways to upgrade your EPC rating in preparation for your EPC review:

Provide access

It is very important that your expert can access all parts of your property for inspection. You do not want them to make assumptions, as this may lead to a downgrade of the EPC. For example, if your expert cannot enter the attic to confirm that you have isolation, he will have to assume that you are not doing this. The same applies to the insulation of a hot water cylinder. If he cannot see it himself, he is going to suggest the worst case scenario.

Make your documentation available.

If you have had any changes or significant changes made since 1996, it is important that the evaluator can see the relevant construction documents signing the documents. If he cannot, then he will use the date of construction of the main building, which will lower the EPC rating for your certificate.

Insulate your water tank

Most hot water cylinders have a foam insulation of 25 mm. However, adding an extra jacket will add 2-3 points to your EPC rating. Cylindrical cardigans are an inexpensive way to achieve this, and you won’t harm if you double your cardigans if you want to go the extra mile.

Remove portable heaters

If the evaluator detects any portable electric or propane heaters during the EPC test, this will be considered as a secondary heating method. This is likely to mean a lower rating for your EPC, as secondary heating is a less effective heating means than the primary heat source. Having removed these heaters, then the evaluator will consider only the main heating method.

Change coal for firewood

If you use a fireplace, DEA will consider that the fuel that they see is the one that you use in your fireplace. Coal as a fuel will give a lower EPC rating than wood, so we recommend that you remove your coal shuttle and add a wooden basket.

Block unused chimneys

Owned open chimneys will lower the EPC rating. Chimneys allow heat to rise from your property, so it is advisable that you block any non-working chimneys. The evaluator will need to make sure that the blockage looks constant, so avoid just stuffing the chimney with an old newspaper.

Lighting requirements

Where possible, change the bulbs to low energy. Your goal is to have 70-80% LE lamps throughout your home. Remember that Low Energy is different from Low Voltage, so 12V halogen lamps are NOT low energy. Achieving this goal by 80% will add valuable SAP Point to most homes.

Next steps

If you expect to spend more money or take larger steps, there are other ways to increase the EPC rating, including increasing insulation in the attic, replacing the boiler with a boiler with strip A, and filling the walls of the cavity.

London Property Inspections is a leading UK provider of energy efficiency certificates for landlords.