Why do I need an Energy Report?

Energy Reports are valid for 10 years and are a legal requirement if you’re building, renting or selling a property. What is an Energy Report? An Energy Report, also known as an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), is an assessment of your property’s energy efficiency. It assesses its performance and suggests improvements that could be made to reduce your energy bills and the impact on the environment. How it rates your property The report rates your property’s performance by detailing the energy used per square metre of floor area, its energy efficiency based on fuel costs and its carbon dioxide emissions. The efficiency of your property is rated from A to G, the former being very efficient and the latter being very inefficient. The report also includes a numerical rating from 1-100. The higher the score, the more energy efficient your property is deemed to be and should result in lower fuel bills. Your property’s carbon emissions (CO2) and environmental impact are also rated and colour-coded from blue to grey. The blue end of the scale indicates that your property is very environmentally friendly with low CO2 emissions. Whereas the grey end of the scale indicates that your property’s CO2 emissions are high and therefore not environmentally friendly. An additional numerical rating from 1-100 also tells you whether your property’s impact on the environment is high or low. The savings you could make An Energy Report also tells you how much the energy used in your property costs to provide heating, lighting and hot water, as well as the potential savings that could be achieved through improvements. These include installing renewable energy solutions such as solar panels, heat pumps, cavity wall, roof and loft insulation and double glazing. Are there any exceptions to the rule? As we’ve already mentioned, legally you’re obliged to have an EPC if you intend to sell your property or if you’re a landlord wishing to rent your property. However, there are exceptions to the rule. These can include listed buildings, places of worship and properties that are due to be demolished. You can find a full list of exemptions on the gov.uk website. Also, if you’ve taken advantage of the Government’s Green Deal, an EPC will have been included in the assessment of your property as part of the scheme. How do I get an Energy Report? You’ll need an accredited energy assessor, such as Forever Green Energy, to assess your property and produce the certificate. Get in touchto arrange for one of our assessors to carry out an Energy Report and identify ways in which you could make improvements to the energy-efficiency of your property.