Energy Performance Certificates
Background
Article 7 of EU Directive (2002/91/EC) on the energy performance of buildings, requires Energy Performance Certificates (EPC's) to be made available to prospective owners and tenants when dwellings are constructed.
Scottish Building Standard 6.9 achieves this by making EPC's fixtures within buildings. Scottish ministers have directed local authorities to apply Standard 6.9 to all existing buildings using Section 25 (2) of the Building (Scotland) Act 2003.
What does this mean for landlords?
From 04th January 2009, landlords who operate in Scotland will have to have an EPC for each of their properties and make these available to prospective tenants. The requirement only relates to new tenancies that are created on or after this date. Therefore, if your current tenant remains in the property beyond 04th January, you will not be required to have an EPC until such time as you create a new tenancy either with the existing tenant or with a different tenant.
The Certificate, which is valid for 10 years, must be affixed to the building (on the inside) and must not be removed unless it is replaced with an updated version.
Where can I get an EPC?
Scottish Building Standards has entered into protocols with various organisations and EPC assessments can only be carried out by a qualified energy assessor who is a member of one of these organisations.
How much will they cost?
It is likely that there will be strong initial demand for EPC's and this may affect the price. There is currently no specific information available regarding the cost of obtaining an EPC. The cost will vary according to a number of factors, not least the size of the property. On balance however, it is possible that an EPC will cost between £65-£135 per property.
What does the certificate look like?
The image below shows what the EPC will look like. It uses the same energy efficiency diagram as can be found on white goods. It also shows the CO2 rating of the building and provides a standardised estimate of the amount of energy (gas & electric) that will be used per annum.
Do I have to comply with recommendations?
The Certificate may include a number of recommendations as to how to improve the energy performance of the building. There is no requirement for you to comply with these recommendations although you may wish to consider them. The only requirement is to have the Certificate itself, even if it shows that the building has a very poor energy performance rating.
