Energy Performance Certificates

Forceten employ and have association with licensed and registered Home Inspectors and Energy Assessors who are fully qualified in the inspection of homes intended for sale.

The Government has introduced by legislation, standards for these inspections and part of the requirement is the production for each and every home in the country over a period of time to obtain an Energy Performance Certificate, (EPC). In the majority of cases the trigger for obtaining the Certificate will be the re-sale of the property as the obligation will lie with the vendor (seller), to obtain these as part of the Home Information Pack, (HIP), process.

Energy Performance Certificates give a rating by percentage of the overall energy efficiency of a property by taking into account the construction method of the walls, the type of glazing installed, insulation provided, types of heating and fuel used, etc. From this we are able to calculate the efficiency of the property which in layman’s terms, will indicate that for every £1 which is spent on fuel, what percentage of this is converted into useable heat. The Certificates are very similar to those found on newly purchased domestic appliances giving a rating of A to G which is colour coded, followed by a explanation of the heating sources and insulation methods in the property and probably the most important area to the home owner, how improvements can be made and the effects it will have, not only on their own fuel bills, but the environmental impact of the carbon footprint of their property and explanations of how and why, certain changes will affect the energy performance rating.

The Certificates will vary in style between suppliers; however, the information contained therein will be in a standard format. The information to produce the Certificate is collected by visiting the property. At present there is no trialled method of on-line or telephone information collection. The Certificates are produced either as part of a Home Condition Report (which is an optional inclusion of a Home Information Pack) or separately for inclusion either with Home Information Pack or with Estate Agents details. A sample certificate can be viewed here.

Costs for Energy Performance Certificates vary based on the size of the property and its location. We are based in Central England and generally are able to offer service from Gloucester to Liverpool and Shrewsbury to Lichfield using our teams located in Gloucester, Wolverhampton and Crewe.

Forceten have a range of information guides and reports available to purchase online and download. We also offer search and report services and DIY snagging lists for the more confident house purchaser. You can also book a survey or request a quote.

To see the products and make a purchase please go to the Buy A Report page.