What do the energy ratings on a home report mean?

Ever wondered what all that blurb about Energy means on a home report?  Well, an EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) shows the potential and current energy ratings of a property – known as SAP Ratings. A SAP rating means Standard Assessment Procedure. SAP charts are divided in to seven bands that range from A to G and there are a set number of SAP points in each range. There is a current, as well as potential rating in each chart, and the maximum points in each chart are 100.

How to get an EPC:

If the property was let or has been sold since 31^st December 2008 in Scotland, it will have an EPC. You don’t need to get a new one because they are valid for ten years, but if you’ve made big changes since the last one was carried out, you will need to have it redone.

An inspection takes 1 to 2 hours, depending on the layout and size of the building. Once the property has been inspected, software will be used by an energy inspector to calculate the energy ratings. After that, an energy performance certificate will be produced that will tell you everything about the energy efficiency of your property as well as its environmental impact. This certificate will tell you:

• The energy efficiency ratings
• The environmental impact and Carbon Dioxide rating
• The estimated usage of energy, estimated CO₂ emissions and the fuel costs of the home
• A summary of the home’s features related to energy performance
• Recommended steps to improve the energy performance of your home

Energy Efficiency Ratings:

Energy efficiency ratings are a measure of a home’s overall efficiency. If the rating is higher, the home would be more energy efficient and the fuel bills will be lower.

Environmental Impact CO₂ Ratings:

An environmental impact rating is the measure of the impact of a home on the environment in terms of the CO₂ (Carbon Dioxide). If the rating is higher, the home will have a lower impact on its environment.

Summary of features related to energy performance of your home:

Important individual elements which have an impact on the performance rating of your home will be assessed by the summary. Each element will be assessed against the following scale: Very Good/Good/Average/Poor/Very Poor.

Key elements which are considered include the roof, walls, floor, windows, main heating, secondary heating, main heating controls, lighting and hot water.

If you have any questions about the energy ratings of any of our properties, please speak to one of our team.