By the 1st of October, 2008 all residential property must have a valid Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) when it is let. The Government have intimated heavy fines for non-compliance. The good news is that the certificate will remain valid for 10 years.

An EPC must be provided to a potential tenant no later than;

1. When any written information about the building is provided in response to a request for information
2. When a viewing is conducted

To obtain an EPC involves a visit to your properties by a qualified Home Inspector (HI) or Domestic Energy Assessor (DEA). HIs & DEAs are likely to be in demand so prudent landlords may consider getting their properties up to standard and assessed early, especially if re-letting is likely.

Full HIP will take the hassle away from this additional bureaucratic burden whilst providing preferential rates for Landlords. Here’s how it works;

1. You supply us the names and addresses of your tenants
2. We will send out letters on your behalf to all your tenants advising them of the requirement for the assessment and that Full HIP will be contacting them to arrange a suitable time to come and assess the property
3. We will contact all your tenants and arrange the assessments
4. An HI or DEA will carry out the assessments
5. All assessments will be logged as per Government requirements
6. You will be supplied with a copy of all the assessments

Depending on the number and size of properties involved the whole process should take 2-4 weeks.

An EPC tells you how energy efficient a home is on a scale of A-G. The most efficient homes - which should have the lowest fuel bills - are in band A.

The Certificate also tells you, on a scale of A-G, about the impact the home has on the environment. Better-rated homes should have less impact through carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

The EPC is a result of an EU directive and is a key part of the Government’s strategy to reduce the 27 per cent of national carbon emissions that come from our homes. The intention of the directive is to ensure that building standards across Europe place a high emphasis on minimising energy consumption.