When considering your property for sale, it is important to make sure that everything it spick and span before putting it on the market. This includes ensuring that the lease is renewed (if there is a lease), clearing up the garden and the front yard, repainting, fixing minor repairs and of course, getting an EPC.
What is an EPC
Short for Energy Performance Certificate, an EPC is a form of documentation required when selling or buying a property. It gives the property an energy efficiency rating from A to G, in order of most efficient to least efficient. Each EPC is valid for 10 years and it will also contain recommendations on what can be done to potentially reduce energy use and save money.
Why is it Necessary
Whenever you are buying, selling or renting a property, you must order an EPC for potential buyers and tenants before you market your property. The property owner must be able to show you a valid EPC if you are planning on buying a property. This is because it gives the potential buyer or renter an accurate example of the costs of electricity and whether or not it can be currently improved.
If you or the property owner does not have a valid Energy Performance Certificate, they may be liable for a fine. By providing a list of things that can be done to improve the Energy Performance Rating, this gives a relatively clear idea of what must be done to save money when renovating the property. If the property in question has a good energy performance rating, you will be more likely to sell it.
How to Improve
How old is your boiler – While in the short term it might be expensive to replace a perfectly usable boiler, if your boiler is eight years old or older it might be a good idea to consider replacing it. More modern boilers are far more efficient when it comes to heating the house and could save you a lot of money in the long run. Plus you may be less likely to suffer from a break down if you replace your boiler sooner rather than later.
Shed Some Light on the Situation – Energy saving lightbulbs, while they do take longer to brighten a room, are an incredibly efficient change in the long term. Energy saving lightbulbs might be slightly more costly than normal light bulbs, but they use a fraction of the energy and also last longer due to the energy they do use. Energy saving light bulbs will take some time to brighten up the room but once it is warmed up it will be even brighter than a normal light bulb! Soon you won’t even notice the difference.
Reviewing the insulation – By increasing your loft insulation, you help reduce your heating bills and improve the houses heating throughout the year. There may be some housing schemes which can help you with the cost of insulation, so be sure to check those out. It is also useful to replace any single glazed windows with double glazing where possible, as this helps to reduce draughts and improve central heating during the winter as well.
Of course there may be some cases in which it is hard for you to do anything at all about your EPC and in these cases you are unfortunately stuck with the Energy Rating you have. However by making a conscious effort to increase the performance of your energy it can start to make a difference, even if you are making little changes such as switching the lights off every now and then and swapping out your normal bulbs for energy saving bulbs. Every little helps when it comes to maximising your energy output!
Article provided by Mike of property surveying company Alan Rance.