EPC’s otherwise known as Energy Performance Certificates are under scrutiny at the moment due to their inaccurate and expensive advice, leaving homeowners to ponder remedial works which could take decades to recoup the investment.

EPC’s were first introduced in 2003, as a European Union directive, that looked at the amount of energy a building used, in order to improve the energy efficiency. Today you cannot build; rent or sell a home without an EPC, but with a lot of underqualified or inexperienced assessors out there, we see that sometimes it is not worth the paper it is written on. EPS’s are valid for 10 years and there is a governmental database where you can input your postcode to see if a certificate exists, when its expiry date; the energy rating and consumption and any the recommendations that were noted during the inspection.

Recent reports, from a comparison website, asked homeowners throughout the country to book EPC assessments on their behalf, to see how accurate the certificates were compared to an evaluation by a leading industry specialist.

The results were completely mixed in terms of accuracy; advice given and the energy consumed at a property. There were claims that the assessors did not mention or missed the installation of solar panels; triple glazing or inaccurately mentioned construction methods and insulation within the building. This led to homeowners not believing the report, especially in the area of estimating energy bills.

Some of the recommendations for improvements made by the assessor had already been installed, but were absent in the report showing either that the inspector missed them on their visit or did not make detailed enough notes. Some reports show that the EPC’s overestimated the metered gas and electricity use by almost ninety percent.

Not every building needs an EPC. Certain buildings (mainly non-residential) are exempt. Examples include places of worship; listed buildings; temporary buildings; industrial sites; warehouses and residential buildings intended to be used less than 4 months a year

You can take an assessor course for around £2000. This will certify you to go out and perform these inspections but are just 4 or 5 days long. Some of the courses can be completed online, so you will never actually inspect a home until you have been qualified. Doesnt exactly inspire confidence!