|  Energy
Performance Certificates in Let Property - Fact File
England
and Wales From
the 1st October 2008 all rental properties in England and Wales with a new tenancy
will be required by law to have an Energy Performance Certificate - EPC. An
Energy Performance Certificates tell you how energy efficient a home is on a scale
of A-G. The most efficient homes - which should have the lowest fuel bills - are
in band A. The Certificate also tells you, on a scale of A-G, about the impact
the home has on the environment. Better-rated homes should have less impact through
carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The average property in the UK is in bands D-E
for both ratings. The Certificate includes recommendations on ways to improve
the home's energy efficiency to save you money and help the environment. A
landlord (or landlord's agent) will
be required to show the EPC to prospective tenants.The tenant will be able to
see at a glance how enery efficient and environmentally friendly a particular
rental property is. They
will have to be provided when any written information about the property is provided
or a viewing undertaken. If neither of these occur it must be supplied before
entering into a contract to let. The
certificates will be valid for 10 years. If a property has recently been purchased,
it is likely to have an Energy Performance Certificate as this has formed part
of the HIP (Home Information Pack) in England and Wales.There will be no need
to get EPCs for current tenancies or renewals to the same tenants. A tenant cannot
'legally' move in to the property until an Energy Performance Certificate has
been produced. How
do you obtain an Energy Performance Certificate? A
Domestic Enerergy Assessor (DEA) will have to be found.This can be via a letting
agent, local paper, web or via one of the Landords Associations :- 
NLA - National
Landlords Association - More
information Here
Approximate
Costs: They
are ranging between £60 and £120. Tips
on making energy ratings as high as possible - If
a boiler is over 15 years old consider replacing it. Consider a combi boiler that
does not store hot water in a tank.
- Consider
installing double glazing
- If
you are purchasing new appliances (washing machines etc) look for the Energy Saving
Recommended logos.
- If
your hot water tank does not have a jacket get one or replace the tank with a
built on jackrt insulation.
- Make
sure the loft is well insulated
- Consider
cavity wall insulation
Penalties
for non compliance It
is the responsibility of local authorities, through their Trading Standards Officers,
to ensure that EPCs are in place and they will be the body that brings any proceedings
for breach. On 8th February 2008 the Department for Communities and Local Government
warned landlords that the Government is considering a 'fixed penalty charge' notice,
which could be as much as £200 per dwelling, per day, for any landlord who fails
to provide an up to date EPC to tenants N.B.
This information should not be relied on for accuracy and is presented here without
the responsibility of jml Property Service and the website it is being displayed
at. ©jml property Services 04-08 Top
of Page ______________________________________ SEE
ALSO: Energy Performance Certificates in Let Property - 25th September
2008, 28th August 2008, 29th January 2008 -Energy
Performance Certificates Update - Commercial Properties17th
March 2008 Building
Energy Rating - Certificates in Ireland (BER)
Northern
Ireland(EPC) ______________________________________ Below
example of Page 1 of an Energy Performance certificate in an English rental prioperty 
Top
of Page ______________________________________ Scotland
All tenants who
rent a property on or after 4 January 2009 must be provided with EPC (ie new tenancies)
.An individual EPC will only be valid for a period of ten years. If major works
were to be undertaken during this period, building owners may choose to update
the certificate, however, this is not mandatory. Legislation
for Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) for all new buildings was introduced
in Scotland on 1 May 2007. For existing buildings, an EPC will be required when
the property is sold or rented out to new tenants. Once in place an EPC is valid
for 10 years. The
timetable for introduction is as follows: - Sale
- dwellings - 1 December 2008
- Sale
- all other buildings- 4 January 2009
- Rental
Properties - 4 January 2009
Who
can Produce an EPC?
In Scotland, there is no specified qualification for energy assessors.The Scottish
Government has entered into protocol with professional organisations/institutions
whose members already have an understanding of the building/energy sectors. Only
members of protocol organisations may produce EPCs for existing buildings. The
Scottish Building Standards (SBS) has entered into protocols with The Chartered
Institution of Building Services Engineers, Scotland (CIBSE Scotland), The Association
of Building Engineers (ABE), The Energy Institute (EI), The Royal Institution
of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), The Heating and Ventilation Contractors Association
(HVCA), Building Research Establishment (BRE), National Energy Services (NES)
and Elmhurst to deliver services in relation to Energy Performance Certificates.
Types
of Certificate:Two certificates have been produced, one for dwellings and
one for all other buildings (this includes ‘Public Buildings’). The certificates
can be accessed here:
More
information at http://www.sbsa.gov.uk/epc.htm
© Crown copyright information on Scottish Energy Performance Certificates jml
Property Services hold a Core Licence Number C02W0008738 Scottish
government not delivering for landlords - 19 Nov 2008
NLA
Scotland has accused the Scottish Government of failing landlords on the forthcoming
introduction of Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) legislation. With
less than two months until the introduction of EPCs for Scottish rental properties,
the Government is failing to meet its duty to ensure that all landlords are aware
of the new regulations. NLA
Scotland is concerned that without a concerted effort to promote EPCs, there will
be widespread confusion among landlords and tenants about what is required under
the new rules. From 4 January 2009, landlords who do not make an EPC available
to tenants at the start of a new tenancy could be hit with a fine of £5,000 and
will have committed a criminal offence. The
introduction of EPCs for the Scottish private-rented sector means that prospective
tenants must be given details of the energy efficiency and environmental impact
of the property. NLA Scotland, which provides certificates through NLA EPCs, is
calling on the Scottish Government to promote the new EPC rules as soon as possible. Jim
Parker, Chairman, NLA Scotland, said: "It is disappointing to see Scottish Government
failing in its duty to keep landlords informed. The promotion of EPCs seems to
have been left to the commercial providers and a significant number of landlords
will be blissfully unaware of the risks of not complying with the new rules. "All
landlords starting new tenancies will need to get an EPC or face severe penalties.
If the Government does not act soon to promote the legislation, thousands of landlords
could find themselves unknowingly breaking the law and fined to the tune of £5,000.”
For
more information about NLA EPCs, go to www.scottishlandlords.org.
Source
NLA - National Landlords Association NLA
- National Landlords Association - More
information Here
Top
of Page Northern
Ireland Energy
Performance Certificates will be required for all property sales and rentals by
the end of December 2008. Homes and commercial - when sold, built or rented will
need an energy performance certificate (EPC). Public buildings will also need
to display a display energy performance certificate (DEC). This initiative is
the result of European legislation - the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive
- which all member states must adopt. The
Department of Finance and Personnel is introducing measures in Northern Ireland
to improve the energy efficiency of our buildings, including:
- introducing energy
performance certificates for properties providing A-G efficiency ratings and recommendations
for improvement
- requiring
public buildings to display energy certificates
- requiring
inspections for air conditioning systems and
- giving
advice and guidance for boiler users
Top
of Page France Diagnostic
de Performance Energétique - DPE (Energy Performance Survey) From the 1st
July 2007, these are mandatory for all sales. This survey is provided purely for
information purposes (like in England
and Wales, Scotland,
Northern
Ireland and The
Republic of Ireland) and covers levels of energy consumption and greenhouse
gas emissions. Properties are rated from A to G (A represents optimal performance)
and the survey is valid for 10 years. It also includes recommendations for improving
energy consumption Article L134.L of the Building and Housing Code. If you
are letting out your property remember The DPE - Diagnostic de Performance
Énergétique should accompany any new or renewed lease agreement for a lease period
of longer than four months. It is the responsibility of the property owner to
have a building examined and to make any obligatory improvements.
Back
to Property Information See
also: Statutory
code of Practise on racial equality in housing ARLA’s
Response to the Law Commission Report - August 2008 and
The
Law CommissionHousing: Encouraging Responsible Letting ____________________________ Top
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