What to Expect From Your Domestic EPC Assessment
If you’re selling, letting or building a home, you may need an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). At Yorkshire EPC, I provide professional domestic EPC assessments across Leeds and surrounding areas, with a straightforward, personal service from an accredited Domestic Energy Assessor.
This guide explains what happens during an EPC assessment, what I will need from you and what you can expect on the day.
What Is a Domestic Energy Assessor?
A Domestic Energy Assessor (DEA) is a qualified professional who assesses the energy efficiency of existing residential properties, including houses, flats and bungalows.
During a domestic EPC assessment, I visit the property and collect information about its construction, insulation, heating, windows and other energy-related features. This information is entered into approved EPC software to produce an Energy Performance Certificate.
A domestic EPC must be produced by an accredited energy assessor who is a member of a government-approved accreditation scheme. Yorkshire EPC is an Elmhurst Energy accredited Domestic Energy Assessor.
When Do You Need an EPC?
An EPC is generally required when a residential property is:
- Being sold
- Being rented or let
- Newly built
The EPC provides an energy efficiency rating from A to G, along with recommendations that may help improve the property's energy efficiency.
An EPC is normally valid for 10 years, unless a newer EPC is produced for the same property.
If you're unsure about anything or have any questions, please feel free to get in touch. I'm always happy to help.
What Happens During an EPC Assessment?
A domestic EPC assessment is non-invasive, meaning I won't drill into walls, remove fixtures or carry out destructive work.
During the assessment, I will collect information about the property, which can include:
- Property type and approximate age
- Property dimensions and floor areas
- Construction type
- Wall, roof and floor construction
- Loft and insulation levels
- Heating systems and controls
- Hot water systems
- Windows and glazing
- Window and room measurements
- Renewable technologies, where applicable
- Extensions and other areas of the property
I will also take photographs where required to support the information recorded during the assessment.
The time required will depend on the size, age and complexity of the property. As a guide, a typical domestic EPC assessment can take around 30 minutes to 2 hours, although some properties may take longer.
What Do I Need to Do Before the Assessment?
To help your EPC assessment in Leeds run smoothly, please make sure I can access all areas of the property.
Where possible, please ensure:
- All rooms are accessible
- The loft space can be accessed
- Heating and hot water systems are accessible
- Windows can be viewed and measured
- There is sufficient space to take measurements
- Any relevant documentation is available
If you have paperwork showing details that cannot be visually confirmed, such as loft or cavity wall insulation, please have this available.
Providing supporting evidence can help ensure the assessment reflects the actual features of the property. Where information cannot be verified, the appropriate assumptions may need to be made in accordance with the assessment methodology.
What Information Will I Need From You?
Before or during the assessment, I may ask questions about improvements or alterations that have been made to the property.
Useful information can include:
- When insulation was installed
- Loft or cavity wall insulation details
- Boiler installation information
- Window installation details
- Solar panels or other renewable technologies
- Extensions or alterations
- Documentation for energy-efficiency improvements
You don't need to have all of this information, but having supporting documentation available where possible can be helpful.
Photographic Evidence
As part of the assessment, photographs may be taken to provide evidence for information recorded within the EPC assessment.
For example, photographs may be used to support information relating to:
- Insulation
- Heating systems
- Windows and glazing
- Renewable technologies
- Property features
- Documents relating to improvements
Photographs are used as supporting evidence for the assessment and are handled as part of the EPC assessment process.
Measuring the Property
Accurate measurements are an important part of a domestic EPC assessment.
I will measure relevant areas of the property to establish floor areas and other dimensions required for the assessment. A floor plan is also created as part of the assessment process, including relevant room information and areas such as heat-loss and party-wall perimeters where applicable.
How Is the EPC Rating Calculated?
The EPC rating is calculated using approved software and the information collected during the assessment.
The rating is shown on a scale from A to G, with A representing the higher energy-efficiency rating and G the lower.
Importantly, the EPC rating is not my personal opinion of the property. It is generated by the approved assessment methodology and software based on the information recorded during the assessment.
Likewise, the recommendations shown on the EPC are generated by the approved software based on the information collected. I don't personally choose which recommendations appear on the certificate.
What Happens After the Assessment?
Once I have completed the visit, I enter the information collected into the relevant approved software and produce the EPC.
The completed EPC is then lodged on the official Energy Performance of Buildings Register. Once lodged, you will be able to access the certificate online.
Your EPC will include information such as:
- The property's energy efficiency rating
- The property's floor area
- The date the EPC was issued
- Estimated energy-related information
- Recommendations for improving energy efficiency
GOV.UK confirms that an EPC is valid for 10 years unless it is replaced by a newer certificate for the same property.
How Can I Find an Existing EPC?
Before booking a new domestic EPC, it's worth checking whether your property already has a valid certificate.
For properties in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, you can search the official EPC register using the property's postcode, street name and town, or certificate number.
Find an Energy Certificate – GOV.UK
If your property has a valid EPC, you may not need a new one simply because the property is being sold or rented again. A newer EPC will replace an older one when one is produced.
Need an EPC in Leeds?
If you need a domestic EPC in Leeds or the surrounding Yorkshire area, I aim to make the process as simple and straightforward as possible.
As an independent, accredited Domestic Energy Assessor, I provide a professional service for homeowners, landlords, sellers, buyers and property professionals.
Whether you're preparing a property for sale, getting ready to let a property or simply need an up-to-date Energy Performance Certificate, I can arrange an assessment at a convenient time.
Need an EPC? Get in touch with Yorkshire EPC today to arrange your assessment.