“Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) were introduced in Northern Ireland to help improve the energy efficiency of buildings. If you are buying or selling a home you now need a certificate by law”.

The EPC is part of a series of measures being introduced across Europe to reflect legislation which will help cut buildings’ carbon emissions and tackle climate change.

By October 2008 all buildings, whenever they are built, sold or rented out, will require one. The EPC provides ‘A’ to ‘G’ ratings for the building, with ‘A’ being the most energy efficient and ‘G’ being the least, with the average to date being ‘D’.

The EPCs are produced by accredited Energy Assessors following an assessment of the property.

“EPCs are measured using the same calculations for all homes, so you can compare the energy efficiency of different properties. Part of the EPC is a recommendation report which will list the potential rating that your home could achieve, if you made changes. The report lists improvements that you could carry out and how this would change the energy and carbon emission rating of the property.

You can use this information to:

• cut your fuel bills
• improve energy performance in your home
• help cut carbon emissions

Other changes include requiring public buildings - for example town halls, libraries, hospitals - to display certificates showing the energy efficiency of the building.”

Read more at the official government website www.direct.gov.uk/epc 

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