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   The domestic EPC survey is a `Visual Evidence Based Non-Invasive Survey`. Information [data] is compiled on what is seen at the property at the time of the visit. Photographs have to be taken with a date and time stamp to satisfy any reports which are audited independently of the assessors accreditation company. As this is a visual evidence based survey assessors DO NOT move or lift anything, if DATA for an item to be included in the survey is obstructed because it cannot be seen or accessed then it will need to be moved or lifted or be described as UNKNOWN, AS BUILT or NO ACCESS, floorboards will definitely not be lifted. It is the owners responsibility to make sure accessibility to all areas/items to be included in the survey are arranged prior to the assessors visit, boarded lofts will need to be accessible to measure the insulation by the boards being lifted by the owner and exposing the insulation. Any call backs will mean another fee for any changes made to the property which will affect the outcome of the calculations and will require a new report to be lodged with Landmark.

   The major reason for the EPC is to determine how much CO2 is pumped into the atmosphere by the property, measured in tonnage per annum. The recommendations on the report are designed to improve the energy efficiency of the property and reduce the buildings CO2 output, so the government can show European Parliament in 2020 they have met their obligations. However because of BREXIT the future is unclear as nobody knows what will happen.

   The assessor will need to establish certain information from you, assuming the owner is available or someone would know the answers, which will result in a more accurate report IE: Accurate age of the main property, dates of any extension or conversions, such as lofts or garages [the calculation engine software will default to what building control was at the time of the different build dates] are there any renewable's installed. Any types of heat recovery systems etc, etc.

   The assessor will inform you that they will have some work to do outside of the property. They will then work out the gross internal or external cubic meterage of the shell of the build per floor level. All of the heat loss perimeters will be calculated in linear meterage. Inspect the loft for insulation thickness assuming access is available, Boilers, heating controls, glazing, bulbs etc, plus much more data is taken into consideration. Each assessor will have their own sequence and methods of working; the end result should be the same?

   The time taken to collect all of the information will depend on the complexity of design, maybe the size? Any extensions or roof rooms or a section of the property which has been converted, such as an integral garage which may well be thermally different, if built at different times. The assessor may do their calculations at the property or back at their office. The majority of properties are completed within the hour [be suspicious of an assessor who is only there a matter of minutes] the mean average time is about 45 minutes but this does as stated earlier depend on design complexity, extensions, size etc. We allow approximately 1 hour for an EPC but may be longer. An EPC & Floor-plan may take longer as all of the above may have to be included time wise.

   Where a room in the roof is applicable such as a loft conversion, a property with dormers,  half dormer properties, attic/loft conversions etc: Please provide the date of the conversion [This will default to the main build age if evidence from B/C is not available] any evidence you may have on the `U` values for the Residual area, Stud walls, gable ends, Slope and Flat Ceiling areas [these would have been provided by your SAP assessor for building control] Please click here for a further explanation.This will override the defaults in the calculation engine and provide a more accurate report. If you have additional evidence for `U` values on certain parts of your property please provide, as this will improve the accuracy of the report IE: Floor Insulation, Wall Insulation [internal, external, cavity fill or all 3 combined] Roof Insulation, Glazing U & G values.

   If you have any type of wall insulation which is retro fitted, cavity or solid wall and is not visible please make sure the paperwork or any certificates are available for evidence [assessors are unable to identify the drill pattern with back filled mortar if rendered on cavity walling] If solid walls apply, have they had any internal/external insulation installed or any dry lining [possibly insulated as well]to the heat loss walling.

   If your double glazing was fitted post 2002 please make sure any evidence is provided in form of a certificate. Sometimes the date is visible on the glazing bar in the units. An error by customers [as they would not know] is that sometimes a single glazed unit creates the heat loss perimeter, such as a front door which leads to an unheated double glazed porch. Customers would be under the impression the house is fully double glazed, however for EPC data/accuracy the property is not. If the porch was heated however, then the house would become fully double glazed [there is other criteria which could also affect this]

   Light fittings. Assessors now have to do a bulb count, how many are low energy as opposed to how many are not. This is something to not be concerned about as the difference with 2 identical properties, 1 with 100% low energy bulbs and the other property to have none, is only 1 or 2  RDSAP points on the scale, but this extra 1 or 2 points could take you into the next banding.

   Loft insulation. If this can’t be seen and measured [because of boarded over] or no access is available, assessors can only input the data as unknown or the customer will have to lift the boards. Please have any evidence of loft insulation thickness installed available, if not then the assessor will establish the thickness known as MWA, mean weighted average and round down the thickness or input as separate extensions for the different areas of thickness.

   HWC [hot water cylinder] the more insulation around the cylinder including thermostats, the better the rating.

   Boiler information, if applicable. The assessor will need to establish the make & model of the boiler if possible. Please have the make & model available just in case the assessor is unable to identify. The correct data for the boiler will result in a more accurate report.

   Heating controls. If wirelesses thermostats please make sure they are available as can be easily missed. Depending on the type of heating controls, they can make a considerable difference to the rating in your favour, especially zoning of areas/floor levels with time and temperature zone controls. Some controls like the Honeywell EVOHOME system is designed to zone areas singularly or by grouping together.

   If evidence is provided after the report is lodged with Landmark a number of options are available. When LODGED the EPC at this point becomes a legal document in a PDF format which can’t be changed as the epc is encrypted with its own unique 24 digit reference number which is only applicable to that property and  is available to view on the public register.

1.   Provide the evidence along with a dated signed letter from the property owner, stating no further changes have been made to the property, a fee will apply [this is time sensitive] as a new report has to be created and lodged with Landmark, after the original has been cancelled. Fee cost £65

2.   Re-visit the property for a re-inspection of the evidence. The same letter as above will apply along with a re-inspection fee of £65

3.   A complete re-survey of the property which will outdate the previous report. Full cost of survey will apply @ £65

Annexe: When is an EPC required for an annexe?

 A property can have an additional building unit (e.g.an annexe’) which, if it is self-contained and meets the  dwelling  definition of a building, needs to have its own EPC.

 The annexe may share a party wall(s) with the main dwelling. Standalone buildings (i.e. physically separate  from the main  building)

 A building unit designed or altered for separate, self-contained use could be indicated by the accommodation having its  own cooking and bathing facilities and its own access (from the outside, or via a communal corridor,  without having to enter  via the main dwelling), and may have separate or shared provision of heating and  ventilation, but with the ability by the  occupier of each dwelling to independently control those services. An  example might be a self-contained flat in a building. Connecting doors from the main property to the annexe now also apply as a a separate Annexe.

Non Annexe

 If there is a separate part of the dwelling which is not self-contained but contains rooms that are used as part  of the main  dwelling, e.g. bedrooms, study etc. in a large detached garage or outbuilding converted [this may well have to have B/C evidence] into part of  the living  accommodation of a main property:

  - If heated by the main heating system (as defined for the main dwelling), include in the assessment of the  main dwelling  and a single EPC for the main dwelling is to be issued.

  - Otherwise, omit from the assessment.

Standard Occupancy:

 Standard occupancy is an important concept in energy rating because, in order to provide a means by which readers of  an  EPC can compare one property with another, a level playing field must first be achieved. For example, you might inspect a  five-bedroom house occupied by a single person whose running costs are lower than if the property were  occupied by a  family of five people. Conversely, you might encounter a large family inhabiting a very small flat and who use a lot of hot  water and considerable heat. The RDSAP rating ignores the occupants and their behavioural  patterns, focusing  instead on the dwelling itself; its fabric, heating, lighting, etc.

 RDSAP works by measuring the annual cost of maintaining an acceptable temperature regime in a dwelling. The assumption is that an acceptable regime would be achieved by heating the property to 21 degrees Celsius in the lounge  and 18  degrees Celsius in other habitable rooms for 9 hours per week day and 16 hours at weekends.

 The calculation uses the size of the property to estimate a suitable average number of occupants and  hence  the hot water requirements for that number of occupants. This method is sometimes referred to  as an ‘asset  rating’.

 As this is a legal document, all data, site notes, photographs, evidence etc has to be kept as a hard copy, on file as evidence for 15 years. Currently residential EPCs are valid for 10 years; however it may be in the property owner’s  interest  if the energy efficiency has been improved to create a new EPC, if they are selling or renting.

 When payment is received the EPC report is normally forwarded within 24 to 72 hours after the surveyor has visited, assuming the property is registered with Landmark.

 We are providers of Energy Performance Certificates & Floor-Plans in Bath and the surrounding areas. If you have any questions or  queries about our EPC or floor-plan service, please contact us to discuss, where we will be only too pleased to help and offer  advice.

If the annexe is not self-contained and is heated by the main system ser assess as part of the main dwelling.

            BATH EPCs & FLOOR-PLANS

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