OUR PERSONAL SERVICE FOR WARWICKSHIRE

Research indicates that there is a great deal of confusion about Energy Performance Certificates and the effect they will have on house prices and their saleability. Householders are becoming increasingly concerned about rising fuel prices, climate change and the value of their greatest asset - their home.

Our local accredited DEA can survey your home, produce an Energy Performance Certificate and recommend areas to improve the energy rating of your home. We believe that an ever increasing number of householders will require this service outside of the Home Information Pack, but the EPC can still be used as part of the HIP as it will be valid for 12 months.

COST OF THE ENERGY PERFORMANCE CERTIFICATE = £100

Turnaround Targets : Three working days to visit the property and one day to produce the report.

FAQ's

WHAT IS AN EPC?

Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) tell householders about a homes energy efficiency using A to G ratings like those used to rate fridges and boilers.

HOW CAN YOU MAKE COST EFFECTIVE IMPROVEMENTS TO YOUR HOME?

The Certificate also makes recommendations for cost-effective improvements to help cut fuel bills and carbon dioxide emissions.

Our homes currently account for 27% of the UK's Carbon emissions, contributing to Climate Change.

It is estimated that by following the recommendations in an EPC, an average of £300 a year can be saved on fuel bills.

The Energy Saving Trust estimate that annual savings of up to £220 and 1.5 tonnes of CO² can be achieved by installing loft insulation.

Cavity wall insulation will save up to £160 and 1 tonne of CO² with less than a 2 year payback and a 25 year (CIGA) guarantee.

"A" rated condensing boilers are over 90% efficient and some older boilers are as low as 55% efficient, replacing your old boiler with a new condensing boiler and heating controls can reduce your CO² by 1.25 tonnes a year and save up to £240 (40% of your fuel bill) a year.

WHY A DEA SURVEY?

A survey carried out by a qualified DEA will produce an accurate rating for your home with a detailed report on what can be done and the benefits in both reduced fuel bills and carbon dioxide emissions. The average cost of a survey will be around £100 which is only a fraction of what your potential savings could be. This is an extremely small amount compared to what is spent on vehicle inspections each year - Your home deserves an Energy Performance Certificate.

ABOUT THE BUILDINGS PERFORMANCE RATING?

The ratings on the certificate provide a measure of the building's overall energy efficiency and its environmental impact, calculated in accordance with a national methodology that takes into account factors such as insulation, heating and hot water systems, ventilation and fuels used.

The average energy efficiency rating for a dwelling in England and Wales is band E (rating 46).

Not all buildings are used in the same way, so energy ratings use 'standard occupancy' assumptions which may be different from the specific way you use your building.

Different methods of calculation are used for homes and for other buildings.

Details can be found at www.communities.gov.uk.

Buildings that are more energy efficient use less energy, save money and help protect the environment.

A building with a rating of 100 would cost almost nothing to heat and light and would cause almost no carbon emissions.

The potential ratings in the certificate describe how close this building could get to 100 if all the cost effective recommended improvements were implemented.

ABOUT THE IMPACT OF BUILDINGS ON THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT

One of the biggest contributors to global warming is carbon dioxide. The way we use energy in buildings causes emissions of carbon. The energy we use for heating, lighting and power in homes produces over a quarter of the UK's carbon dioxide emissions and other buildings produce a further one-sixth. The average household causes about 6 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year.

Adopting the recommendations in this report can reduce emissions and protect the environment.

You could reduce emissions even more by switching to renewable energy sources.

In addition there are many simple every day measures that will save money, improve comfort and reduce the impact on the environment, such as:

Check that your heating system thermostat is not set too high (in a home, 21°C in the living room is suggested) and use the timer to ensure you only heat the building when necessary.

Make sure your hot water is not too hot - a cylinder thermostat need not normally be higher than 60°C.

Turn off lights when not needed and do not leave appliances on standby.

Remember not to leave chargers (e.g. for mobile phones) turned on when you are not using them.