Preparing for your EPC Survey
Thank you for booking an energy performance certificate (EPC) survey with Silver Arch Property Solutions. If you’ve never had an EPC survey before, you may be wondering what
happens. Below is a handy guide which we hope will be helpful ahead of the visit.
EPC Preparation Guide
What Exactly is an EPC Survey?
An EPC survey produces a certificate that rates the energy efficiency of a property, ranging
from A to G with A being the best. It is a legal requirement for a homeowner/landlord to
have a valid EPC if the property is being sold, rented or let out. They last for 10 years
although they can be renewed at any time.
They are primarily a cost-based certificate which also provides recommendations on how to
improve the energy performance of a building.
Do I Need to Provide any Information?
To help us ensure the most accurate rating for your property, any information you have
relating to any building works – for example cavity wall insulation – would be very helpful.
Also items such as receipts, builders orders, architect plans etc. If we cannot see a specific
energy measure, or there is no evidence it exists at the property, then we cannot take it into
consideration. Unfortunately we cannot accept a customer’s word that a specific measure is
present.
In addition, if you have any instruction manuals for your boiler, please provide these.
Are Solar Panels Included in the Survey?
Yes, however if you have a solar or solar panels at the property, please ensure you provide
the MCS certificate or other information that shows the total kilowatt peak. This is very
important to ensue your EPC rating is as accurate as possible. If you do not have an MCS
certificate, the manufacturer/installer should be able to provide it.
What Happens During a Survey?
Silver Arch Property Solutions’ qualified EPC assessor will look at various aspects of your property including the walls, windows, heating system, flooring and building materials. We will also need to see your electricity and gas meters. If you have one, he/she will also need to access the loft. We have our own ladder, so don’t worry if you do not have one!
We are also required to produce a simple floorplan as part of the survey and evidence requirements so you will see us use a laser measure during the survey. This is purely so we can work out the area of the property and where certain features are located in the property, such as the radiators, the windows and also so we can mark which walls will lose
the most heat.
How Long will the Survey Take?
Depending on the size of your property, a survey will typically last around 60 minutes.
However please allow for up to 2 to 3 hours if your property has a larger number of rooms
and bedrooms.
What Areas do you Need Access to?
The assessor will require access to every room in the property including any adjoining rooms
such as an internal garage and conservatory. We will also need access to your gas/electric
meters, boiler and water tank if you have one. If we are unable to access a certain room,
this is not a problem although it may affect your overall EPC rating.
Do you Need to Take Photos?
​Yes although all our photos are non-invasive. We only photograph specific items in rooms
such as the radiators, types of bulbs etc. We do not photograph personal items such as
pictures. If you have any concerns, please speak to the EPC assessor.
Why do you Take Photos?
To be able to carry out EPC surveys and provide your certificate, we are required to be members of a national governing body. We at Silver Arch Property Solutions are members of Elmhurst Energy, which is the UK’s largest governing body.
For all our EPC surveys, we are required to provide evidence that what we say is in a property is present as we undergo quality assurance audits at regular intervals. This is to
prevent false EPC certificates being produced and also to ensure high quality is maintained.
How Long Before I Receive my EPC Certificate?
We aim to provide your EPC certificate within 3 working days. Once uploaded you are sent a link via email. Often we can do this sooner depending on the size of the property.
If you are a landlord renting out the property through an agent, or if you are a tenant in a rental property, your managing agent will be sent the link instead. There are lots of parameters we need to enter when putting your EPC certificate together, and there aresometimes occasions when we come across things in properties that means we will need to raise queries with the accreditation body. This can mean we may sometimes take a little longer, but we’ll always let you or the landlord/managing agent know if we need to do that.
Can I ‘Fail’ an EPC?
In simple terms, no, there is no such thing as a failed EPC survey. Properties are rated from A to G, with A being the most efficient although very few properties are an A rating, even very modern properties. Most properties on average are rated around a D. If the property is a rental, it is required to be a minimum of an E or above to be able to legally rent it out, although there are some exemptions, however the vast majority of properties need one. Holiday lets will also legally need an EPC if it is let out for less than 30 days at a time, meets the HMRC definition of a holiday let, is let out for at least 4 months per year and if the customers pay the energy costs. Landlords could face fines of several thousand pounds per property if they let a dwelling out which is not meeting the legal requirement.
At the end of 2025 it is proposed to raise the minimum level a C or above although this decision is yet to be made by the government. Currently, if the rental or holiday let achieves an F or G rating, the landlord is required to make necessary improvements to increase the rating to at least the minimum E level.
Do You Come up With the EPC Rating Score?
Our role, and that of any EPC assessor, is to collate and evidence what is at the property, we
do not come up with the actual rating. We then enter this information into an industry-wide
software programme which then calculates your rating. Therefore even if you had three
separate EPC assessments done one after the other, your rating would almost certainly be
the same each time.
What Happens Once I Receive my EPC Certificate?
Once you receive your certificate, you will see how your property rated and its typical yearly
cost. You may then choose to undertake energy improvement works to make the property
more efficient. On the certificate, there are a number of recommendations that you can
consider implementing, and what your property may then achieve as a rating. They are
concurrent, so one depends on the other and so on to potentially achieve the possible
highest ratings being shown. You of course do not have to do any measures; the EPC rating
is a guide - it is a not a requirement to undertake works.
We provide lots of other services including legionella risk assessments, full property inventory clerk services, vacant property checks, alarm checks and videos. If you want to know more, simply call us on 07368838213.