Domestic EPCs - HC Housing Stock

Energy and Sustainability is managing the process of producing EPC certificates for the Council’s housing stock where there is a statutory requirement to have them. This includes a requirement for an EPC to be made available to a new housing tenant when a dwelling is re-let. Where a dwelling is being re-let the Council make a copy of the valid EPC for the dwelling available, free of charge, to a prospective tenant.

In the case of a re-let of Council housing, it is a legal responsibility of the Council to ‘affix the certificate to the building’. The EPCs are generally affixed in a cupboard containing the gas or electricity meter or the water supply stopcock.

Production of EPCs for this manner is being managed by Energy and Sustainability and as of June 2009 over 400 EPCs have been produced for Council properties through the use of external contractors.

Methodology:

To produce an EPC a survey based on the RdSAP 2005 (Reduced data Standard Assessment Procedure) methodology is carried out which records physical aspects of the property such as property type (semi, detached, flat etc.) wall and roof type, heating and hot water system and insulation levels.

The RdSAP survey produces a result between 0 and 100 which is based on the energy use per square meter of floor area. The property is subsequently placed in a energy efficiency rating band from A to G, where A is a very energy efficient property with low running costs. Additionally the potential banding for the property is given if recommended energy efficiency measures identified in the certificate are put in place. The EPC also includes an environmental impact rating based on CO2 emissions for the dwelling.

Further EPC benefits:

Delivery of the EPCs also assists the Council in meetings other important strategic targets as outlined in the Scottish Housing Quality Standards / Fuel Poverty section.

For more information on EPCs for the Council’s housing stock please contact the Energy and Sustainability Team.