Latest News and Features - Aril 2012 The launch of the Green Deal EPC.
Latest News on EPC's
From April 1st 2012 the "New Green Deal EPC" comes into force and the old format of Energy Assessment becomes defunct!! The New EPC provides valuable information for the General Public on the Governments"Green Deal initiative" which comes into force in Oct 2012. The New EPC makes the details simplier and easier to read and understand and helps to focus the attention of the reader on the Green Deal benefits for the normal householder. The New Energy Performance Certificate(EPC) can only be provided by a Licenced and accredited Domestic Energy Assessor(DEA)or Home Inspector (HI), who are both qualified and regulated. So how do you choose an EPC provider?
An estate agent may employ a qualified DEA and if not they may suggest you get your EPC from a company they normally use, usually at your expense! You can accept this, or you can instruct your own provider.
An EPC provided via the agent is generally more expensive than one you commission independently.
The EPC has to be available within 28 days of marketing your home for sale, and this will shortly be reduced to 7 days; the same applies when you offer a home for rent. Ideally,the EPC should be ready at the start of marketing. To be sure you comply with the law, you’ll want reassurance that the EPC you pay for will be registered correctly with HM Government and provided efficiently and of a high quality.
When choosing your own provider, you have two options:
1. Choose a local DEA - You deal directly with them. A local DEA will not expect payment until they carry out the survey. They will be very experienced in the assessment of building styles and type locally.
2. Buying off the Internet – These internet based companies (Panels) take payment, usually in advance. The DEA they instruct may have no experience of local property style and type as they may well travel some distance to carry out the assessment. This can impact on the time they spend at your property obtaining the relevant data and ultimately on the accuracy of the EPC produced.
Please be aware that there are some ‘rogue’ panels that take payment from you and then do not provide the EPC. Also, some companies fail to pay the DEA that produced your EPC. If you are unlucky enough to fall victim to such a situation, you will need to pay for another energy survey to provide the EPC.
Buying off the internet: how can you protect yourself?
1. Check that the Company displays, on its website, the company name, address & telephone contact number – an e-mail address alone is not satisfactory.
2. Ask for the Name and Accreditation number of the assessor who will be calling. All EPCentre.co.uk employees are accredited with HM Government Accreditation Companies and all have been CRB Checked and verified. If they cannot tell you straight away, ask them to call you back when they can. Do not pay until they can tell you this – this is your only opportunity to check the credentials of the assessor.
3. Check the credentials of the assessor using the Landmark website at:
https://www.epcregister.com/searchAssessor.html
Only when you are completely satisfied, confirm & pay for your assessment. If paying by credit/debit card use PayPal if possible. Credit Card protection is not available for sums below £100.00. Debit Cards have no protection and you have opened the possibility for further monies to be removed if the site is a ‘scam’ site.
We hope this helps you to ensure you acquire a correctly recorded and certified EPC certificate for your property and The EPCentre.co.uk should be your preferred supplier.