Monday 21 September 2009

Energy Performance Certificates made easy

The Energy Performance Certificate also referred as EPC shows the energy efficiency rating of a building or a property. The Energy Performance Certificate graphically highlights the energy efficiency rating pattern on a scale measuring A to G. Rating A indicates the most efficient energy performance. In contrast, G stands for the worst energy performance. Besides depicting the energy performance, EPC s also analyses the environmental impact of a building, affected by CO2 emissions.

The European Union Directive 2002/91/EC marked the way for EPC s. The report came into picture prompted by Kyoto Protocol, aimed to reduce energy consumption and counter carbon dioxide emission, which plays crucial role in worsening ecological balance. The Part 5 of the UK Housing Act 2004 has issued a directive, which makes it compulsory for all houses and buildings in UK to have EPC s by 2009.

The directive aims to reduce the huge energy consumption. The domestic consumption alone accounts for 40% of total UK's energy consumption. EPC s provide useful information to enhance the energy-efficiency of a property.

EPCs provide all necessary information regarding Energy Savings Trust, which comes to the benefit of house property owners in several ways. The Energy Savings Trust provides the owners with special grants or discounts so that they can accomplish essential improvement works.

Once the energy consumption is reduced, the amount of carbon dioxide being emitted is automatically curbed. This is a fantastic way by which EPCs not only help to restore money and energy but also makes a successful contribution in building an all improved healthy environment.

Nothing is more important and essential than an Energy Performance Certificate included in a Home Information Pack (HIP). As incorporated in HIP as a form of Governmental attempt to provide a complete support to a greener housing market, the EPC s have immensely shouldered the selling and buying procedures trying to make the process more speedy and lucid where nothing remains behind the curtain.

You tend to make wrong decisions mostly when you are ignorant. EPCs will not give you a scope for that because they are always prepared with lots of information, which you can consider while making a decision. In reality, when the rating is better the energy efficiency of the property becomes higher resulting in low fuel bills. When energy consumption is reduced, expenses are bound to be less and this significantly benefits the climate too. Under such circumstances, more buyers are gaining interest in buying properties having decent energy performance ratings.

The EPCs renders valuable message to bring down carbon emission and thus save valuable energy. Largely, EPCs have helped both the buyer and the seller. The seller feels more sanguine to quote a price and on the other hand, buyer can easily make out energy-efficient home. The higher rating homes will surely help buyer in the long run.

The European Directive for the Energy Performance of Buildings has asked all the member countries of the European Union to bring in EPCs. The EPC s have been aimed as a concrete step to lower the energy consumption and the same time to protect the environment, before it gets too late. After the issuance of such directive, the UK government showed swiftness in implementing it. Consequently, the sellers in UK must include EPCs in Home Information Packs.

The sellers willing to sell their property can get EPC s by taking the services of Home Inspectors directly. The other option is to approach Home Inspectors through their agents.

The Home Inspectors conducts a complete inquiry by gathering relevant information, before issuing a certificate. In addition, an accredited Energy Assessor may also issue the Energy Performance Certificate only after executing important checks.

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