Domestic EPCs in North Devon
Professional domestic Energy Performance Certificates across North Devon and the surrounding areas.
If you're selling your home, letting a property or need an EPC for a newly built property, North Devon EPC provides professional domestic EPC assessments across North Devon and the surrounding areas.
An Energy Performance Certificate gives your property an energy efficiency rating from A to G, together with recommendations for improvements that could help make your home more energy efficient.
Whether you're a homeowner, landlord, estate agent or property professional, we aim to make arranging your EPC straightforward, with a professional local service and clear advice throughout.. This certificate evaluates a building's energy efficiency using a rating scale from A (most efficient) to G. EPCs must be issued by a qualified, accredited assessor—either a Domestic Energy Assessor (DEA) for residential buildings or a Non-Domestic Energy Assessor (NDEA) for commercial properties.
To issue an EPC for an existing property, an assessor conducts an on-site inspection to evaluate its physical characteristics and energy impact. Following the assessment, the official EPC is produced and registered in the national Government database.
What is an Energy Performance Certificate?
An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) provides an indication of how energy efficient a property is.
Every property assessed receives a rating from A (most energy efficient) to G (least energy efficient). Your certificate also includes information about the property's estimated energy performance and recommendations for improvements that could help increase its efficiency.
An EPC isn't a structural survey or a report on the condition of your property. Instead, the assessment focuses on the parts of the building that influence its energy performance, including insulation, heating, windows, hot water and lighting.
When do you need an EPC?
There are several circumstances where an EPC is required by law.
Selling a Property
Renting a Property
New-Build Properties
Selling a property
If you're selling your home, an EPC generally needs to be in place before the property is marketed for sale.
Having your EPC arranged early can help ensure there are no unnecessary delays when you're ready to put your property on the market.
Renting out a property
Landlords generally need a valid EPC when letting a property to a new tenant.
The certificate gives prospective tenants information about the property's energy efficiency and can also highlight areas where the property's energy performance could potentially be improved.
There are also minimum energy efficiency requirements for many privately rented properties, so landlords should make sure they understand the current regulations that apply to their property.
New-build properties
An EPC is required for a newly constructed home once construction is complete.
The assessment provides an energy performance rating for the finished property and forms part of the requirements associated with completing a new dwelling.
What happens during an EPC assessment?
An EPC assessment is a straightforward inspection of the property.
The assessor will look at the features that have an impact on the property's energy performance. This can include:
The size and layout of the property
The construction of the walls, roof and floors
Loft and other insulation
Windows and external doors
The main heating system
Hot water systems
Heating controls
Lighting
Renewable energy systems, where installed
Where possible, the assessor will need access to relevant areas of the property, such as the loft, boiler and heating controls.
If you've had improvements carried out to the property, such as installing insulation, replacing the boiler or fitting new windows, it's useful to have any relevant information available for the assessment.
Once the assessment has been completed, the information is used to produce your EPC.
Understanding your EPC rating
Your property's EPC rating is shown on a scale from A to G.
A represents a highly energy-efficient property, while G represents a property with a lower energy efficiency rating.
The rating is calculated using a standardised assessment methodology. It isn't simply based on your current energy bills or how much energy your household happens to use.
The construction of the property, insulation, heating system, glazing and other features all contribute to the final rating.
Your EPC will also include recommendations for improvements that could potentially improve the property's energy performance.
What improvements might an EPC recommend?
Every property is different, so the recommendations will depend on the characteristics of the building and the systems installed.
Depending on the property, recommendations may include:
Improving loft insulation
Adding or improving wall insulation
Improving floor insulation
Upgrading heating systems
Installing better heating controls
Replacing inefficient lighting
Improving windows and glazing
Considering renewable energy technologies
An EPC isn't a quotation for carrying out these improvements, and not every recommendation will necessarily be appropriate for your particular property.
However, it can give homeowners and landlords a useful starting point when considering future improvements.
Can an EPC help reduce energy bills?
Improving the energy efficiency of a property can potentially reduce the amount of energy required to heat and run it.
Your EPC recommendations can help identify areas where improvements may be worth considering. The actual savings will vary depending on the property, how it is used and the improvements carried out.
An EPC should therefore be viewed as a guide to the property's energy performance rather than a guarantee of a particular saving on your energy bills.
Why does an EPC rating matter when selling a property?
Energy efficiency can be an important consideration for prospective buyers.
A property's EPC gives buyers an indication of its current energy performance and highlights potential improvements. A more energy-efficient home may also be attractive to buyers who are conscious of ongoing household running costs.
For sellers, arranging an EPC early means you have the information available before marketing the property.