By Craig Smith
Just over a year ago I wrote about some changes that were planned with regards to including Energy Performance Certificates as part of the details shown to prospective tenants. Well the changes are now in place and, despite quite a lot of confusion, we finally have the answers to some of the questions that have been asked repeatedly over the last couple of weeks!
New Style EPC’s Now Available.
There is now a new style Energy Performance Certificate which still shows the same details as the ‘old’ ones but just in a different format, a bit like a newer model of a car! Some experts have been worried that any older format certificates would need to be replaced by the newer ones each time a property is re-let, even if the certificate has not yet expired. We can now confirm that this is not the case and that older format certificates are still valid, provided they are not out of date.
Should EPC’s be Available when Marketing?
The certificates should be included with printed details if they are being given to a prospective tenant and indeed available at viewings. They should also be provided to a tenant when they move in to a property whether they request one or not. The other change is that the first page of the document should be visible on any electronic advertising such as websites.
However, they do not need to be provided in window displays (imagine the amount of extra windows agents would need just to show them!) or in printed advertisements, for example newspaper adverts.
Should a New EPC be Obtained for Every Letting?
The short answer to this is no! An EPC that has been carried out for the purpose of letting a property is valid for 10 years and the only time it needs to be renewed before this is if any changes have been made to the property that might affect the rating. For example, having new double glazed windows installed or insulation put in.
Further Advice: Saving Energy in the Home
The certificate gives an estimated amount of how much it would cost to run the home over 1 year, based on assumptions of how long the heating will be turned on etc. This won’t be an exact amount that the occupier could expect to pay but does give some idea of how much they would be looking to pay at the property.
Just this Saturday at a viewing, a gentleman asked to look at the EPC as he wanted to compare the energy rating to his current property. He was going to look at the pro’s and con’s of paying extra rent for a new property compared with how the energy bills would stack up. I have to say, I can still count on one hand how many people have actually asked to look at the certificate in the last 5 years!
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