Who is responsible for obtaining an Energy Performance Certificate? 

For property being sold in Northern Ireland the EPC is the owners responsibility; for buildings that are to be rented out, it is the prospective landlord (both are referred to in the Regulations as the ‘relevant person'). This certificate should be shown, on request, to any prospective purchaser or tenant, and should in any case be provided by the owner to the ultimate purchaser before a contract for sale is made or tenancy arrangement has been agreed. 

When is an EPC not required? 

You will not be required to produce an EPC if:

• you are not selling or renting your property
• you are selling your home and both parties sign a contract by 30th June 2008
• you are renting your property and both parties sign a contract by 30th December 2008
• you are selling your property and have reasonable grounds to believe that the buyer intends to demolish it on purchase.

• places of worship,
• stand-alone buildings of less than 50 m² (except for dwellings),
• temporary buildings with a planned time of use of 2 years or less, and
• particular buildings with low energy demand (e.g. barns).

How much will Energy Performance Certificates cost? 

The price of an energy performance certificate will be set by the market and not by the Department. We expect these costs to vary according to the size, type and location of the property. The current predicted cost of a standalone Energy Performance Certificate for an 'average' home is approximately £100.   Some Estate Agents are charging slightly more as they aim to make a higher profit margin, it is best to shop around for quotes and use NIHI to find the best quote for you.  Larger properties or those in remote areas may incur slightly higher fees. 

What is involved in an energy assessment in Northern Ireland? 

Measurments will be taken of the property to determine the area and the heat loss elements.  The assessor will also gather information about the property, the construction, the heating and heat loss elements. How long will it take to perform an energy assessment? The time taken to perform an energy assessment will vary according to the size and nature of the property. This is particularly true of commercial buildings where the wide variations in size etc. renders any definition of 'average time' not very meaningful. However, it has been estimated that an average 3 bedroom semi-detached house would take approximately an hour to complete an rdsap survey What happens if my home gets a low rating? This simply indicates your home could be more energy efficient. During the inspection a number of recommendations to improve its energy efficiency will be identified (in the recommendation report which should accompany the EPC). Implementation of these could not only increase your rating and reduce carbon emissions, but also save money on energy bills. However, it is up to you whether you implement the recommendations or not; the Regulations do not impose a legal duty on you to do so. 

What are the benefits to me as a seller or landlord? 

A higher energy rating should make a building with a higher rating more marketable than one with a lower rating. The rating indicates to a prospective buyer or tenant how energy efficient your building is and a more energy efficient building is less costly to run. Also, the recommendation report should also provide information that may help to reduce the running cost of the property even further. 

As a seller or landlord do I need to obtain a certificate every time I sell or rent to a prospective buyer or tenant? 

No. There is no requirement in the Regulations to produce a new EPC every time there is a sale or new tenancy. A certificate is valid for 10 years and can be used multiple times during this period. If, however, an existing dwelling is sold (or rented out) after this period, the certificate will effectively expire and a new replacement EPC will be required which will, in turn, be valid for another 10 years and so on. 

Certificates must be produced by an Accredited Energy Assessor, but does this mean that a team can gather the data? 

A team of people can work on gathering the information for an energy assessment as long as they are working under the direction of an Accredited Energy Assessor.  The Accredited Energy Assessor must ensure that anyone visiting a property or gathering information on their behalf is suitably qualified to gather the information. Only Accredited Energy Assessors can produce and register certificates.An Accredited Energy Assessor may use data previously collected about a building. They must, however, be satisfied that any data about a property has been properly collected and accurately reflects the property as they will be responsible for any data used to produce an EPC. 

Does each apartment or flat need a separately generated EPC? 

Certification for apartments or units in blocks can be based on the assessment of another unit in the same block. Existing data may be used that was gathered at an earlier date and/or by another person.  

What buildings will be affected by the requirement to display a Display Energy Certificate? 

Only buildings with a total useful floor area greater than 1000m² occupied or part occupied by public authorities and institutions providing public services to a large number of persons and frequently visited by those persons are affected by this legislation.Where a building is partly occupied by a public authority or a relevant institution, the authority or institution is responsible for displaying a DEC and having a valid advisory report. Other private organisations occupying the building, irrespective of the size they occupy, do not need to display a DEC. 

Who is responsible for ensuring that a DEC is displayed? 

It is the responsibility of every occupier of a building affected by the Regulations to display a DEC in a prominent place clearly visible to the public and to have in his/her possession a valid advisory report, on or after 30th December 2008. Action is required now to ensure annual energy information is available bythis date.A DEC shows the energy performance of a building based on actual energy consumption and is valid for 12 months. An advisory report is valid for 7 years.  

What information do I need to collect? 

If you are affected by this legislation and are required to display a DEC by 30th December2008, you should start collecting energy consumption data now. You will need to obtain actual meter readings or consignment notes for all fuels used in your buildings that are affected by this legislation. This may include gas fuels, oil fuels, solid fuels, district heating and cooling, grid electricity and electricity generated on site or obtained by private distribution systems from other sites.For district heating and cooling and electricity generated on site, or obtained by private distribution systems from other sites, you will also need to obtain the average carbon factor for the service over the accounting period e.g. in kg of carbon dioxide per kWh delivered.You can obtain this information from a number of sources:

• on-site energy meters
• the building landlord or representative
• the utility supplier
• the district heating/cooling provider.

For affected buildings that are on a site or campus, energy metering information can be collected at site level rather than building level. Although multiple small buildings on a campus where each building is less than 1,000 m² are excluded, if these buildings are linked to one another by a heated space or are served by the same heating or cooling system then a DEC is required. The energy consumption for each separate building or each group of linked buildings with total useful floor area exceeding 1,000 m², will then be derived by proportioning on the basis of floor area. 

What information am I required to provide if I am a recent occupier of the building? 

The operational rating is not required where an occupier has been in occupation for less than 15 months. The asset rating is not required in the display energy certificate where an occupier entered into occupation of the building before 31st December 2008. 

Will an Energy assessor have to visit the property? 

For existing domestic properties, the Accredited Energy Assessor must base the assessment on a visit. Where an assessment is based on the assessment of another representative apartment or unit, the Accredited Energy Assessor will need to visit a sample of the apartments or units to verify that they are indeed representative. In other cases the assessor must visit the property if s/he has any concerns about the data and should expect to do so unless there is good reason not to. 

How can I find an Energy Assessor? 

Search for your local energy assessor in Northern Ireland by filling in a short quote form.  The system will find the assessor in your area who can offer the most competitive rate. 

How can I become an Energy Assessor? 

An Energy Assessor needs to have both appropriate qualifications or competence and accreditation:

• Qualifications: Energy Assessors should hold a current qualification in Energy Inspection.This is being developed as part of a National Occupational Standard in Energy Inspection. It will demonstrate that they have the technical competence to produce a certificate. The qualification will be approved by the Qualifications and Curriculum Agency. Qualification bodies will develop assessment procedures that align with the National Occupational Standard and
• Accreditation: Accreditation is the management arrangement that provides reassurance that someone who has the relevant technical experience is permitted to produce a certificate on an ongoing basis. Different accreditation schemes are likely for each sector requiring certificates. To be an Energy Assessor an individual must be a member of an Accreditation scheme. Membership of such a scheme will only last as long as an individual satisfies the accreditation requirements.

• www.abbeqa.co.uk/ (Awarding Body for the Built Environment)
• www.cityandguilds.com/cps/rde/xchg/cgonline (City and Guilds) and
• www.nfopp.co.uk (National Federation of Property Professionals).

What are the main differences between Northern Ireland’s legislation and England and Wales? 

In England and Wales the requirement for an EPC forms an integral part of the Home Information Packs (HIPS). There are no plans to introduce HIPS here.  In Northern Ireland, the EPC must be made available at the earliest opportunity before the conveyancing process commences and, as a constituent document in this process, it must be provided as part of the completion of the sale.In England and Wales,  estate agents who are providing written particulars for a property being marketed for sale, will need to include the graphics showing the energy efficiency rating and the environmental impact rating for the property, or attach the Energy Performance Certificate (but not the Recommendation Report) to the particulars. There is no equivalent provision in Northern Ireland’s Regulations.