HarrogateDEA

Harrogate DEA specialises in the production of Energy Performance Certificates ( EPCs ) on behalf of the General Public, Landlords, Solicitors, Estate Agents and HIP providers.

In accordance with the Housing Act  2004 and the Building Energy Performance Directive (EPBD) 2002, each report is carried out by a fully qualified DEA (Domestic Energy Assessor),  accredited through  Elmhurst Energy Systems, a government approved accreditation body licenced by DEFRA.

This web site has been set up to help answer some of the many questions asked concerning HIP's and EPC's. If  you have any further questions or enquiries please do not hesitate to contact us.  All our contact details are listed on this site.

What is a HIP

Home Information Packs (HIPs) have been introduced by the Government with a view to speeding up the house selling process ( Residential lettings only need an EPC) and cutting down on duplication of paperwork .The aim of the packs is to give prospective buyers information on the property prior to them making an offer, so they know what they are buying, thereby cutting down on the amount of aborted sales.

So the packs contain searches, evidence of title, statement  of sale etc, plus an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC).

The EPC is a Europe wide directive that states "when buildings are constructed, sold or rented out, an EPC ....is made available to prospective buyers or tenants.." The Government has added the EPC to the HIP to give the HIP more substance.

The HIPs are now required prior to marketing  for all residential properties.

The survey for the EPC is carried out by a qualified inspector who has been accredited through the appropriate Government scheme. The information collected by the inspector is processed by a Government approved organisation to produce the performance ratings of the property along with a list of possible improvements. Both the inspector and the EPC supplier are regularly monitored to ensure that strict standards are maintained. The inspector will also have had to be checked  by  the Criminal Records Bureau.

What is an EPC?

An EPC gives performance ratings of a home's Energy Efficiency and Environmental Impact. The Energy Efficency rating is based upon a number of factors and the Enviromental Impact rating on carbon dioxide (CO2) emmissions, your 'Carbon Footprint'. (Factors taken into account are shown in the 'Services' section of this website)

The ratings are shown as tables in the report similar to efficency charts for washing machines and other white goods, with the current ratings for Energy Efficiency and Enviromental Impact  shown along side the potential rating. It is the difference between these readings which is important and will show if a property is performing to its full potential and wether any savings can be made.

As well as a summary of the property's current energy performance,  the report will also list what the current fuel costs would be for standard occupancy of the property. (i.e. fully occupied with a set average usage of the heating, hot water and lighting systems. It will also highlight steps that can be undertaken to improve these ratings, showing the potential change and savings in fuel costs for each recommendation.

These ratings are listed according to cost so under low cost measures there might be a recommendation to install low energy lighting, increase the hot water cyclinder jacket, cavity wall insulation etc, whilst under high costs it may recommend upgrading the boiler or the heating control system.

Finally there is a section called Further Recommendations. These are more extreme recommendations such as switching to Solar Heating, Photo Voltaic Cells(Solar Electiricity), Double Glazing  etc.