An EPC is a rating given to a property to give the homeowner and potential buyers an indication of
its energy efficiency.
The ratings are alphabetical, starting with an ‘A’ for the most energy efficient homes, dropping to
the bottom rating of ‘G’ for the worse performing homes. The EPC will also give the homeowner
guidelines (including estimates of cost) on how to improve the energy efficiency of their home.
The Survey Hive is a local.
We pride ourselves on our fast and efficient service, and work to deliver your EPC within 3-4 days from instruction.
If yes: The property should already have a SAP EPC and therefore you won’t require another until the current EPC expires.
If the residential area has its own access, and there is a lockable door between the two areas, then an EPC is needed for each property.
If there’s no separate access, or no lockable door, then one commercial EPC is needed.
When booking Survey Hive to complete your EPC…
You’ll need to provide us with the full property address, as registered with Landmark.
Our Assessors require access to all the rooms within the property. Can our Assessor access the following areas and equipment?
Are there stored items, or furniture below the hatch? Is the hatch locked or painted over and stuck?
Is the boiler in a cupboard? Is access blocked by furniture, or other household equipment? If the boiler is in the garage, make sure the Assessor can access the garage.
If you’re not going to be present during the survey, make sure any portable programmer/thermostats for the heating system are visible and not hidden away.
Often in an airing cupboard, is the whole tank visible? If the hot water tank is behind a fixed panel, this should be removed in advance of the survey.
It is important to be able to establish if a dual tariff electricity meter is present. If the location of meters is not obvious, make sure the Assessor is aware.
It is important to note that our Assessor cannot remove screws or nails to remove panels and hatches, or break paint seals. Where there is no access, the software will make assumptions that may have a negative effect on the EPC rating.
The construction date is used to define many elements of your property according to the Building Regulations that applied at the time of construction. Correctly identifying the correct age band for a property and elements within it (extensions and loft conversions) is vitally important and can have a significant effect on the EPC ratings produced by the software. In some instances, the Assessor will require documentary evidence.
Basically, unless the Assessor has evidence to the contrary, the software will assume that the newer the property the better the insulation levels. Equally, with some older properties, will assume that there is no insulation.
The Assessor will make a judgement on the construction date of your property based on professional knowledge and research.
If you know when the property was built, make sure the Assessor is aware and they will take this into consideration.
This is where a commercial building is converted into a domestic dwelling or dwellings. Common examples are: Barn conversions, warehouse, or factory to apartments.
The Assessor will need to know the date of ‘Change of Use’.
In a conversion where a domestic dwelling is sub-divided (i.e. a large house into flats), the Assessor will need to see documentary evidence such as building control sign-off certificates that show all thermal elements have been upgraded.
If these documents are available, the Assessor can enter the conversion date as the date of construction. Without this evidence, the Assessor will use the original construction date.
For the conversion date of the loft to be recorded, the Assessor will need to see documentary evidence such as building control sign-off certificates. Without evidence, the Assessor will use the construction date of the property.
If yes: By the very nature of a room in the roof, construction insulation will often be hidden within the structure. The thickness and quality of the insulation will often be impossible to establish through a visual inspection.
The Assessor will need to see documentary evidence, which can include receipts with work schedules detailing insulation installed and if building control were involved the sign-off certificates.
If yes: Is the insulation visible?
Often the presence of cavity wall insulation, external solid wall insulation, and loft insulation can be established through visual inspection alone.
But, your loft may have been boarded, walls may have been rendered, re-pointed, or you may have insulated your walls internally. All of these hide the evidence that insulation is present.
Please note, that insulation which cannot be seen can only be included when documentary evidence such as guarantees, installation certificates, or building control sign-off certificates are presented to the Assessor.
Note on lofts: A strip of insulation visible around the edge of a boarded loft is not sufficient proof that insulation is present under the boards. In these cases, the Assessor requires either documentary evidence, or the owner can remove boarding fixings in advance of the survey and lift the boards to expose the insulation.
Installers of loft insulation will often staple the certificate to the rafters within the loft space.