Hi, I’m Mark the EPC Near Me assessor for Southampton.
I provide a fast and efficient assessment of your property and a speedy turnaround in lodging your Energy Performance Certificate to the central register. I pride myself on honesty, friendliness, and reliability.
My price for a domestic EPC starts at £50 and increases with the size and complexity of the building.
Please call, text, or email for a no-obligation quote.
What is an EPC?
Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) are an important aspect of the energy efficiency of buildings in Southampton and the UK. An EPC provides a comprehensive overview of a building’s energy performance, including an assessment of its current energy efficiency and recommendations for improvement. Homeowners and landlords in Southampton are required to have an EPC before they can sell or rent their property, making it a crucial part of the property market.
An EPC includes information on the type of building, its construction, and the heating, lighting, and hot water systems. It also provides an energy efficiency rating, which ranges from A (the most efficient) to G (the least efficient). This rating is displayed in a graph, making it easy for homeowners and landlords to understand the energy performance of their property.
Benefits of EPC to Homeowners and Landlords in Southampton
Having an EPC can provide several benefits for homeowners and landlords in Southampton. For example, an EPC can help to increase the value of a property by highlighting ways to improve its energy efficiency. This can be especially important for properties that have a lower energy efficiency rating, as potential buyers or tenants may be put off by high energy bills. By making improvements to the energy efficiency of a building, homeowners and landlords can reduce energy bills and make their properties more attractive to buyers and tenants.
In addition to providing a comprehensive overview of a building’s energy performance, an EPC also provides recommendations for improvement. These may include simple, cost-effective measures such as installing low-energy lighting or improving insulation, or more substantial changes such as upgrading the heating system. These recommendations can help homeowners and landlords to identify areas where they can reduce energy usage and make their properties more environmentally friendly.
Another advantage of having an EPC is that it provides a clear and objective assessment of a building’s energy performance. This can be particularly useful for landlords, as it provides a baseline for energy usage and allows them to monitor energy bills and identify any changes in usage. This can help landlords to identify areas where they can improve the energy efficiency of their properties and reduce energy bills for their tenants.
What are the Government Regulations?
In order to ensure that all homeowners and landlords in Southampton are aware of their obligations regarding EPCs, the government has put in place a number of regulations. For example, it is now illegal to advertise a property for sale or rent without first obtaining an EPC. Regulations state that all commercial properties must have an EPC rating of D or above before they can be let or sold. If a commercial property does not have an EPC rating of D or above, the owner must make improvements to the property until it meets the required standard.
What Access Does an EPC Assessor Need When Inspecting a Property?
An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) assessor typically needs access to various parts of a property in order to carry out an assessment and produce an accurate EPC rating. Here are some of the areas they may need to access:
- All rooms within the property, including bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens, and bathrooms.
- Loft spaces, including any loft hatches or access points.
- Cavity walls and loft insulation.
- Heating and hot water systems, including boilers, radiators, and thermostats.
- Electrical systems, including fuse boxes, switches, and sockets.
- Any renewable energy systems, such as solar panels or wind turbines.
It’s also important that the assessor is able to view any documents related to the property, such as building plans, as well as any relevant bills for energy use. This will allow them to make an accurate assessment of the property’s energy efficiency and produce an EPC rating.