Property owners urged to check their EPC

Property owners urged to check their EPC

Property owners are being urged to review their Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) prior to it reaching its tenth anniversary.

Originally introduced on August 1, the purpose of the EPC was to provide information on energy used as well as energy costs. They also set out suggestions on minimising energy use as well as giving ratings between A to G. These are valid for a ten year period.

With the ten-year anniversary occurring next week, a Napthens property expert has advised property owners to review their EPC’s, warning that the majority could be due to expire.

When a property is built, sold or rented, an EPC is required and must be implemented prior to a property being put on the market.

In April next year, the need for EPC’s is set to become even more prominent, with a new standard for energy efficiency being introduced. This will mean that a minimum ‘E’ rating must be met by all new lettings and tenancy renewals – not adhering could result in a fine of £4,000.

Highlighting the need for increased awareness around EPC’s was Sarah Barnes. The head of Residential Property at Napthens stated that despite being of high importance, they’re unlikely to be top of a homeowners priority list.

“Much of the time EPCs are something which people become aware of when they are putting a property up for sale or to rent, and promptly forget.

“Now the tenth anniversary of their introduction is nearly upon us, landlords must check whether their EPCs are still valid, by confirming the date of the certificate and ensuring it is less than ten years old.

“Existing certificates can easily be checked through the website of the National Energy Performance Certificate Register, where an assessor can also be found to produce a new one.

“Don’t make the mistake of thinking the only people to need an EPC is a private landlord. Property owners thinking of buying or selling a property must also be aware of their importance, and companies renting out commercial property will also need to make sure everything is in place.

“Certificates may only have a few months left to run, and it’s important to leave enough time to get a new one in place.”

 

Georgia Owen

Georgia is the Content Executive and will be your primary contact when submitting your latest news. While studying for an LLB at the University of Liverpool, Georgia gained experience working within retail, as well as social media management. She later went on to work for a local newspaper, before starting at Today’s Conveyancer.

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