Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) : How To Improve Your Score
Today's homes use more power than ever. As fossil fuel supplies run out, the energy crunch has come, and it is now a matter of vital national and world interest to conserve resources and reduce carbon in each residential property.
To address this critical need, the Housing Act now mandates that every home be inspected for wasteful deficiencies in energy usage, from outdated devices to insulation flaws which leak valuable power with no benefit for anyone.
The Energy Certificate will include a set of recommendations for saving heat and upgrading wasteful appliances, but as a home seller, there are several steps you can take in advance to ensure that your house makes the grade.
The certified energy assessor who performs the audit issues each property a rating according to the UK Standard Assessment Procedure, or SAP. The report includes two overall ratings, one describing the energy efficiency, and one measuring the environmental impact of the home in terms of CO2 emissions.
Each unit is ranked on a scale from A, which is the best possible score, to G, which is the worst. Most properties fall in the middle range, receiving a D or an E.
As the cost of power rises, a better energy efficiency rating increases the value of your home, so before calling the appraiser, it's a good idea to look at some simple steps that will make your property more attractive to buyers and reduce your carbon footprint on the environment.
Here's a quick way to reduce the rated energy consumption of a home. Replacing outmoded light fixtures and bulbs with new, low-wattage alternatives such as fluorescent lamps or quartz-halogen bulbs. Consolidate multiple lighting sources when possible, such as replacing four corner lamps with overhead track lighting.
This is the area where many homes have the greatest room for improvement. Adding dual-paned windows, replacing insulation, and sealing hidden gaps can bring a marked improvement to virtually any property. Replacing your furnace is an extreme measure that may be difficult to justify financially, but installing supplemental systems, such as a new, high-tech electric panel, or floor heating fixture can help radically cut the home's usage of fuel oil or electricity during the winter months.
- Air Conditioning & Refrigeration
Not only are cooling appliances massive energy hogs, in many cases the majority of the cooled air escapes through poorly sealed ducts and windows. Replacing side-to-side refrigerators with more efficient models can also bring big savings, as the icebox is a constant passive consumer of power.
We all love a nice long warm bath or shower, but gas-powered water heaters can contribute to energy waste and therefore a poor rating on your Energy Efficiency Certificate. Solar water heaters can take a huge bite out of your energy bills, as well as earning your home greenie points when the assessor evaluates the property.
Whether you plan to sell this month, next year or in a decade, taking action now will ensure better results when you prepare a Home Information Pack. Not only will your listing appeal to ecology-minded buyers, you’ll be doing your part to help reduce global warming and conserve power we will surely need for the exciting century ahead. |
