Energy Performance Certificates

The EU directive on energy performance requires us to produce and Energy Performance certificate (EPC) whenever a building is constructed, sold or rented out. From June it will be compulsory to do this, at our expense, before we can sell a house. An inspector will "work with an energy assessor" to work out the energy efficiency of the house. He will give a rating from A to G for energy efficiency and carbon emissions. A certificate will record the rating, along with current average costs for heating, hot water and lighting, and specify ways in which improvements could be made - anything from thicker loft insulation to solar panels.

Approximately 25% of the UK's carbon dioxide output comes from housing, and the Government is aiming for a 60% cut in emissions by 2050.

The Government is compelling all house sellers to be part of this carbon dioxide reduction regime. Whether it will do any good is debateable, but we will all have to pay this surcharge when we move.

At the time of writing I don't know the cost, but Government initiatives are not cheap, which isn't surprising. It's not their money.

I read this morning that 128 sheets of paper have to be filled in at the police station before a suspect can be taken into custody.

If that's typical of government schemes I guess the energy performance certificate will be around five hundred pounds.

Nigel Deacon / habitat21 website

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