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Energy Performance Certificates for Homes

If you are selling or renting a property in Cookham, Maidenhead, Windsor, Slough, Bracknell and Wokingham, or South Bucks, Wycombe and Chilterns we can provide your EPC for £40.  Carol Long is an accredited Domestic Energy Assessor and you deal with her direct making the whole process quick and easy.  You do not need to go to an agent, solicitor or a national panel; you can come to your local professional provider and if you need a floorplan or marketing particulars just ask for details.

But don't just believe what we say, here's what our customers say:-

Many thanks for completing this work. I am very impressed with the whole process, including your communication and professionalism. Excellent value for money too! Kind regards Raj

Do you need an EPC? Read more...

What is an EPC?

An Energy Performance Certificate is a legal requirement when selling or renting your property.  You must have booked your EPC when putting the property on the market. It helps potential buyers or tenants to compare the running costs of properties they are interested in.

The EPC looks at how efficiently your home is heated and how it retains that heat, based on how it is built and insulated.  It also estimates the carbon emissions of the property.  The EPC assessment can only be conducted by a qualified and accredited Energy Assessor (DEA) or Home Inspector (HI).  Carol Long of Hawthorn Environmental Services is an accredited DEA.

The EPC is a 6-page document giving the energy rating shown as a graph on the front page.  The rating measures the energy and carbon emission efficiency of your home, with n ‘A’ rating is the most efficient, while ‘G’ is the least efficient. The average efficiency grade to date is 'D'.  All homes are measured using the same calculations, so you can compare the energy efficiency of different properties.  The ratings compare the current energy efficiency and carbon dioxide emissions with potential figures that your home could achieve.  Potential figures are calculated by estimating what the energy efficiency and carbon dioxide emissions would be if energy saving measures were put in place.

The EPC provides a detailed recommendation report showing what you could do to improve your rating and help to reduce the amount of energy you use and your carbon dioxide emissions.  For each recommendation the EPC sets out how the rating would be improved and the potential savings on your fuel bill each year.  The recommendations are set out as Lower Cost Measures (up to £500); and Higher Cost Measures.  There is a third category, ‘Further measures to achieve even higher standards’ that include recommendations such as solar panels.

When is an EPC required?

All homes bought, sold or rented require an EPC. You should receive an EPC when you are considering buying or renting a home. You'll need to provide one if you are selling or letting your home. Contact Carol Long.

What is involved in an EPC survey?

The length of time of the survey visit depends on the size and complexity of your property. As a guide, a standard construction 1-bed house or flat should take around 30 minutes, with larger properties taking about an hour. Very large properties or those with complicated layouts, multiple extensions, extensive glazed areas, conversions or unusual heating systems will take longer.

The assessor measures the dimensions, takes photographs of key features and needs to see the heating system, hot water tank if present, meters and loft, wall or floor insulation, where present.  Technically if they can’t see or measure insulation or see good physical evidence it is there then they should disregard it.  Therefore, it would be helpful if the owner could make available any documents that demonstrate improvements.  

How is the survey information processed?

It is not the assessor that awards a rating personally but they use software that makes assumptions based on the age of the property and the building regulations that were in force at that time.  Once you have your EPC, Carol Long can explain the reasons for the results if wanted; her contact details are included in the EPC.

The EPC will make some recommendations on measures you can take to improve the energy efficiency of your home, mainly as a guide as to what the property could achieve.  However, if you want to maximise the EPC result there are some cheap and quick things you can sort out before the survey, such as installing low energy light bulbs or increasing the loft insulation:  Hawthorn Environmental Services Ltd can advise you on suitable cost-effective measures in advance of the EPC and provide you with the final EPC once measures have been put in place.

Please contact us to find out more about this service.