Property Procrastinators' 10 Month Target

Scottish property owners can put it off no longer – they need to get up to speed with their building’s energy performance within the next 10 months, yet recent research shows that many are ill prepared for the full implementation EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD).  The issue is made worse by a lack of suitably trained energy assessors in the country able to produce an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), a document necessary for the majority of property sales and lettings from 4 January 2009.

EPCs are already required for the construction of new buildings and will soon need to be made available to prospective buyers and tenants.  Stand alone buildings of less than 50 sq.m are exempt, together with premises with low energy demand where the space is not heated or cooled, and temporary buildings with a planned life less than two years.

While all new buildings and almost all existing buildings that are to be sold or rented will have to have an EPC, only public buildings, such as schools, universities and government properties, will have to display the certificate in a prominent place.  An EPC provides information about a property’s carbon dioxide emissions and its energy efficiency, giving a rating from very efficient to very inefficient.  It will include recommended improvements, which have the potential to save energy and money.

Existing buildings will be rated on predicted energy use.   In order to produce an EPC, an assessor would need to gather in-depth information about the property, analyse it and use the approved software developed specifically for the EPBD.

EPCs will be valid for 10 years from the date of issue and can be used at the same premises for successive sales and lettings.

Ryden launched a new EPC service for clients in 2008. 

For more information on EPCs or for a quote for producing the certificate contact Mark Jacobs on  0131 225 6612 or mark.jacobs@ryden.co.uk