Home Inspectors

Energy advice for home buyers and sellers regarding  home energy performance certificates produced for home packs. (HIP).

Home Energy Efficiency

Every home that is marketed for sale must have an Energy Inspection as part of a HIP (Home Information Pack), which details a home’s energy efficiency. In order to issue a certificate it is necessary to conduct a survey of the property either by a qualified DEA (Domestic Energy Assessor) or a Home Inspector (HI). From October 2008 an EPC is required for rental property by property owners who wish to let their property.

Rented Property EPC - more information relevant to the private landlord.
Social Housing EPC - more information relevant to RSL's - Registered Social Landlord's and Housing Associations
Public Buildings DEC - information relating to the Display Energy Certificates
For domestic homes get the facts about Energy Performance Certificates

Whether you are a home seller, and in future, conduct property lettings, you must have a valid Energy Performance Certificate when you sell your home, or let your home. We have compiled a register of independent accredited EPC providers who are licensed to carry out EPC Surveys, a listing is provided below, you can select to find a EPC provider in your local area.

An EPC Energy Performance Certificate provides a rating for your home in its present condition and also a rating for its potential if certain energy saving improvements are undertaken. The overall assessment is based on a sliding scale of A to F, where A is the highest level (i.e. most efficient) and G (less efficient). To simplify the rating scales a similar method to that used for home appliances (e.g. fridges, freezers etc) was adopted.

Typical ratings are shown below for home assessment.



There are many factors to consider when calculating the ratings for an EPC for every home, as each house is different.

Once completed, the EPC can be delivered to the homeowner, and/or, their representative, for inclusion in the home information pack (HIP). A unique reference number is applied to every Energy Certificate and the assessor can supply a web address so that you can view your EPC online. Remember it is better to instruct a local independent domestic energy assessor, the energy certificate remains your property, as you purchased it, therefore you own it. If you instruct an estate agent to act on your behalf to compile your Home Information Pack, the same rule applies. Instruct an independent Home Pack Provider, this will ensure that all the documentation belongs to you - the home seller. A listing of independent providers is available, refer to Home Information Packs.

How long is an EPC valid for?

The EPC is valid for as long as the new homeowner remains in the property before moving again, or in the case of the same property coming back on the market again in the future, then another assessment would be required, commercial buildings certificates are valid for 10 years from the date of the original epc's inception date, more information about Commercial Buildings Energy Assessment and how this will affect property managers.

Landlords and Tenants

Currently a landlord who rents a property to a tenant can voluntarily carry out an assessment for the production of an EPC on the property that they own.

From October 2008 it will be mandatory for an assessor to conduct a survey of the rented property for the production of an EPC. 

The landlord/owner of the property would bear the cost of the EPC. Estimates suggest that there are approx. 2.5 million homes in the rental sector which would be affected by this legislation.

When buildings are to be rented out, the landlord is responsible for ensuring a valid certificate is made available to all prospective tenants.

Validity & Issue Of Certificates

When the construction of a new building is completed, the builder or person responsible for the construction is responsible for obtaining the certificate and providing it to the owner.

An Energy Performance Certificate is only required when a building is constructed, sold or rented out. An EPC is valid for 10 years, except for sales of homes which are subject to the Home Information Pack. The EPC and recommendation report must be made available free of charge by the seller or a landlord to a prospective buyer or tenant at the earliest opportunity and no later than: When any written information about the building is provided in response to a request for information received from the prospective buyer; or, when a viewing is conducted; or If neither of those occur, before entering into a contract to sell or let. An energy performance certificate does not have to be made available if: The seller believes that the prospective buyer or tenant is unlikely to have sufficient funds to purchase or rent the property or is not genuinely interested in buying or renting that type of property; or The seller or landlord is unlikely to be prepared to sell or rent out the property to the prospective buyer or tenant. For new build homes an EPC will be required, such properties have an energy rating assigned by a SAP Assessor. Timescale Homes will require an EPC on rent from 1 October 2008. Commercial buildings > 10000m2 will require an EPC on rent from 6 April 2008 and all remaining commercial buildings will require an EPC on rent from 1 October 2008. Some types of property are exempt from HIPs and EPC’s see HIP Exemptions. EPC - Commercial Property Energy Performance Certificates - Further details about the implementation of display energy certificates for public buildings and Commercial, Industrial property and buildings. What is a SAP Rating? Find out more about the ratings system applied to residential property and home energy certificates, find ways to improve your energy rating for your house before an inspector visits your home. Simple measure can improve cost effective with a short payback time. Find out more about: cavity wall insulation, loft insulation and heating and boiler controls improvements. How can I improve my rating? Consider improvements to your property - Find out more about cavity wall insulation, loft insulation and heating and boiler controls improvements to your home, including energy saving tips and advice. Carbon Footprint Facts about your home's environmental impact Snagging New build property inspections defects checklist, applicable to new homes. Find out more about snagging inspection of new homes. HCR Home Condition Report (HCR) - Property Sellers Information about optional Home Condition Reports. Home Condition Reports can only be carried out by a qualified Home Inspector (HI).  Directory of independent energy companies and business listings for energy assessor and home inspector, energy assessors. Find DEA & HI inspectors in your local area. for England & Wales. Energy Performance Certificate - EPC Energy Performance Certificates. HIPs - HIP Providers National company register. Home Information Packs - New regulations commence uk wide for Home Information Packs from August 2007. Do you know what is required in a home pack?. Home information pack HIP. Get the answers here in our Home Information Packs home sellers online guide, including DIY Home Information Packs Do-it-yourself HIPs information. Find the latest information including exemption from the Home Information Pack. CRB Checks - A Home Inspector and DEA require CRB checks for more information please refer to CRB Check Professional Indemnity Insurance - Home Inspectors - Get a quote for professional public liability insurance cover. An HI and DEA are required to have indemnity  insurance cover, further information on covers and cheap insurance, including liability insurance quotes are available here. Commercial EPC - Energy Performance Certificates - Further information about commercial property and buildings energy ratings. EPC - Energy Performance Certificates Providers England & Wales Use an independent EPC provider for your estimate or quote for an Energy Certificate or Home Condition Report (HCR). Home Inspectors Avon Home Inspector North East Somerset North East Somerset Home Inspectors Alcester Shipston-on-Stour Bath North East Somerset Southam Home Inspectors Bedfordshire Home Inspector Bedfordshire Bedfordshire Home Inspectors Ampthill Bedford Biggleswade Dunstable Harrold Leighton Buzzard Luton Milton Keynes Old Warden Sandy Shefford Silsoe Toddington Woburn Home Inspectors Berkshire Home Inspector Berkshire Berkshire Home Inspectors Ascot Bracknell Bray Cookham Crowthorne Datchet Eton Hungerford Lambourn Maidenhead Newbury Old Windsor Pangbourne Reading Slough Sunningdale Thatcham Waltham St Lawrence Windsor Wokingham Home Inspectors Bristol Home Inspector Bristol Bristol Home Inspectors Ashley Avonmouth Bedminster Bishopston Bishopsworth Brislington East Brislington West Cabot Clifton Clifton East Cotham Easton Eastville Filwood Frome Vale Hartcliffe Henbury Hengrove Henleaze Hillfields Horfield Kingsweston Knowle Lawrence Hill Lockleaze Redland Southmead Southville St George East St George West Stockwood Stoke Bishop Westbury on Trym Whitchurch Park Windmill Hill Home Inspectors Birmingham Home Inspector Birmingham Birmingham Home Inspectors Aldridge Atherstone Bedworth Bromsgrove Cannock Coleshill Droitwich Dudley Edgbaston Erdington Hall Green Halesowen Hinckley Hodge Hill Ladywood Kenilworth Kidderminster Northfield Nuneaton Perry Barr Redditch Royal Leamington Spa Rugby Selly Oak Solihull Stafford Stourbridge Stratford-upon-Avon Sutton Coldfield Tamworth Telford Warwick Walsall West Bromwich Yardley Home Inspectors Buckinghamshire Home Inspector Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire Home Inspectors Amersham Aylesbury Buckingham Haddenham High Wycombe Marlow Milton Keynes Olney West Wycombe Home Inspectors Cambridgeshire Home Inspector Cambridgeshire Cambridgeshire Home Inspectors Bourn Cambridge Chatteris Duxford Ely Fordham Fulbourne Godmanchester Huntingdon Linton Littleport March Peterborough Soham St Ives St Neots Stretham Sutton Wansford Waterbeach Willingham Wimpole Wisbech Home Inspectors Cheshire Home Inspector Cheshire Cheshire Home Inspectors Alderley Edge Alsager Chester Congleton Crewe Daresbury Ellesmere Port Frodsham Knutsford Macclesfield Middlewich Nantwich Neston Northwich Runcorn Sandbach Warrington Widnes Wilmslow Winsford Home Inspectors Cornwall Home Inspector Cornwall Cornwall Home Inspectors Bodmin Bolventor Boscastle Bude Callington Camborne Camelford Cawsand Dobwalls Falmouth Fowey Hayle Helston Kilkhampton Lands End Lanreath Launceston Liskeard Lizard Looe Lostwithiel Mevagissey Morwenstow Mousehole Mullion Newlyn Newquay Padstow Penryn Penzance Perranporth Port Isaac Polzeath Porthcurno Porthleven Portreath Probus Redruth Saltash St Agnes St Austell St Cleer St Ives St Just St Keverne St Mawes Tintagel Torpoint Truro Wadebridge Widemouth Bay Home Inspectors Cumbria Home Inspector Cumbria Cumbria Home Inspectors Alston Ambleside Appleby-in-Westmorland Barrow-in-Furness Bowness-on-Windermere Carlisle Cockermouth Coniston Kendal Keswick Kirkby Stephen Maryport Penrith Ravenglass Silloth Whitehaven Wigton Windermere Workington Home Inspectors Derbyshire Home Inspector Derbyshire Derbyshire Home Inspectors Ashbourne Bakewell Buxton Castleton Chapel-en-le-Frith Chesterfield Derby Edale Eyam Glossop Heanor Ilkeston Matlock Matlock Bath Melbourne Ripley Swadlincote Wirksworth Home Inspectors Devon Home Inspector Devon Devon Home Inspectors Appledore Ashburton Barnstaple Beer Bideford Brixham Clovelly Dartmoor Dartmouth Exmouth Ilfracombe Newton Abbot Okehampton Paignton Plymouth Shaldon Sidmouth Tavistock Teignmouth Topsham Torbay Torrington South Hams Home Inspectors Dorset Home Inspector Dorset Dorset Home Inspectors Abbotsbury Beaminster Bere Regis Blandford Forum Bournemouth Bridport Christchurch Corfe Castle Cranborne Dorchester Lyme Regis Milton Abbas Poole Portland Shaftesbury Sherborne Sturminster Newton Swanage Wareham West Lulworth Weymouth Wimborne Minster Wool Home Inspectors Durham Home Inspector Durham Durham Home Inspectors Barnard Castle Bishop Auckland Chester-le-Street Consett Crook Darlington Easington Ferryhill Hartlepool Middleton-in-Teesdale Peterlee Seaham Shildon Stanley Stockton-on-Tees Home Inspectors East Sussex Home Inspector East Sussex East Sussex Home Inspectors Alfriston Battle Bexhill Brighton Burwash Crowborough Eastbourne Hartfield Hastings Lewes Newhaven Northiam Rye Seaford Uckfield Home Inspectors East Yorkshire Home Inspector East Yorkshire East Yorkshire Home Inspectors Beverley Bridlington Coniston Driffield Flamborough Goole Hook Hornsea Hull Kingston-upon-Hull Newport Whitley Withernsea Home Inspectors Essex Home Inspector Essex Essex Home Inspectors Basildon Billericay Braintree Brentwood Canvey Island Chelmsford Chigwell Clacton-on-Sea Colchester Dedham East Tilbury Epping Harlow Harwich Maldon Manningtree Saffron Walden Southend Waltham Abbey Walton-on-the-Naze Home Inspectors Glamorgan Home Inspector Glamorgan Glamorgan Home Inspectors Barry Island Bridgend Caerphilly Cardiff Cynon Taff Merthyr Tydfil Neath Penarth Pontypridd Porthcawl Rhondda Swansea Home Inspectors Gloucestershire Home Inspector Gloucestershire Gloucestershire Home Inspectors Bourton-on-the-Water Cheltenham Chipping Campden Cirencester Coleford Gloucester Lechlade-on-Thames Moreton-in-Marsh Northleach Painswick Stow-on-the-Wold Stroud Tetbury Tewkesbury Wotton-under-Edge Home Inspectors Manchester Home Inspector Manchester Manchester Home Inspectors Altrincham Ashton-under-Lyne Bolton Bury Oldham Rochdale Salford Stockport Trafford Park Wigan Home Inspectors Hampshire Home Inspector Hampshire Hampshire Home Inspectors Aldershot Alresford Alton Andover Barton on-Sea Basingstoke Beaulieu Brockenhurst Bucklers Hard Fareham Fordingbridge Gosport Hamble Hythe Liphook Lymington Lyndhurst Middle Wallop Milford on Sea Petersfield Portsmouth Romsey Southampton Whitchurch Winchester Home Inspectors Herefordshire Home Inspector Herefordshire Herefordshire Home Inspectors Bromyard Hay-on-Wye Hereford Kington Ledbury Leominster Pembridge Ross-On-Wye Symonds Yat Weobley Home Inspectors Hertfordshire Home Inspector Hertfordshire Hertfordshire Home Inspectors Baldock Berkhamsted Bishops Stortford Borehamwood Broxbourne Bushey Cheshunt Chorleywood Harpenden Hatfield Hemel Hempstead Hertford Hitchen Hoddensdon Letchworth Potters Bar Rickmansworth Royston St Albans Stevenage Tring Waltham Cross Ware Watford Welwyn Garden City Home Inspectors Kent Home Inspector Kent Kent Home Inspectors Ashford Biddenden Broadstairs Canterbury Chatham Cobham Dartford Deal Dover Dungeness Eynsford Faversham Folkestone Gravesend Herne Bay Hythe Lamberhurst Maidstone Margate New Romney Penshurst Romsey Ramsgate Rochester Sandwich Sevenoaks Sheerness Tenterden Tonbridge Tunbridge Wells Westerham Whitstable Home Inspectors Lancashire Home Inspector Lancashire Lancashire Home Inspectors Blackburn Blackpool Burnley Carnforth Clitheroe Fleetwood Garstang Lancaster Lytham St Annes Morecambe Nelson Ormskirk Preston Ribchester Slaidburn Home Inspectors Leicestershire Home Inspector Leicestershire Leicestershire Home Inspectors Ashby de la Zouch Coalville Hinckley Kegworth Leicester Loughborough Lutterworth Market Bosworth Market Harborough Melton Mowbray Twycross Home Inspectors Lincolnshire Home Inspector Lincolnshire Lincolnshire Home Inspectors Alford Boston Bourne Cleethorpes Gainsborough Grantham Grimsby Horncastle Lincoln Louth Scunthorpe Skegness Spalding Stamford Woodhall Spa London Home Inspectors London Home Inspector London London Home Inspectors Cricklewood NW2 Golders Green NW11 Hampstead NW3 Hendon NW4 Kentish Town NW5 Kilburn NW6 Kingsbury NW9 Mill Hill NW7 St John's Wood NW8 Willesden NW10 Acton W3 Chiswick W4 Ealing W5 Hammersmith W6 Hanwell W7 Kensington W8 Maida Vale W9 North Kensington W10 Notting Hill W11 Paddington W2 Shepherd's Bush W12 West Ealing W13 West Kensington W14 Balham SW12 Barnes SW13 Battersea SW11 Brixton SW2 Chelsea SW3 Clapham SW4 Earls Court SW5 Fulham SW6 Mortlake SW14 Putney SW15 Stockwell SW9 South Kensington SW7 South Lambeth SW8 Streatham SW16 Tooting SW17 Wandsworth SW18 West Brompton SW10 West Wimbledon SW20 Wimbledon SW19 East Finchley N2 Finchley N3 Finsbury Park N4 Harringay N4 Highbury N5 Highgate N6 Holloway N7 Hornsey N8 Lower Edmonton N9 Muswell Hill N10 New Southgate N11 North Finchley N12 Palmers Green N13 Southgate N14 South Tottenham N15 Stoke Newington N16 Tottenham N17 Upper Edmonton N18 Upper Holloway N19 Whetstone N20 Winchmore Hill N21 Wood Green N22 Belgravia SW1 Bermondsey SE1 Bloomsbury WC1 Borough SE1 Camden NW1 City of London EC Clerkenwell EC1 Covent Garden WC2 Islington N1 Marylebone W1 Mayfair W1 Pimlico SW1 Shadwell E1 Shoreditch EC2 Soho W1 Spitalfields E1 Stepney E1 Victoria SW1 Wapping E1 Waterloo SE1 Westminster SW1 Whitechapel E1 Bethnal Green E2 Bow E3 Canning Town E16 Chingford E4 Clapton E5 East Ham E6 Forest Gate E7 Hackney E8 Homerton E9 Leyton E10 Leytonstone E11 Manor Park E12 Plaistow E13 Poplar E14 South Woodford E18 Stratford E15 Walthamstow E17 Abbey Wood SE2 Anerley SE20 Blackheath SE3 Brockley SE4 Camberwell SE5 Catford SE6 Charlton SE7 Deptford SE8 Dulwich SE21 East Dulwich SE22 Eltham SE9 Forest Hill SE23 Greenwich SE10 Herne Hill SE24 Lambeth SE11 Lee SE12 Lewisham SE13 New Cross SE14 Norwood SE19 Peckham SE15 Rotherhithe SE16 South Norwood SE25 Sydenham SE26 Thamesmead SE28 Walworth SE17 West Norwood SE27 Woolwich SE18 Home Inspectors Merseyside Home Inspector Merseyside Merseyside Home Inspectors Birkenhead Bootle Crosby Formby Huyton Kirby Liverpool Maghull Port Sunlight Prescot Southport St Helens Wallasey West Kirby Home Inspectors Middlesex Home Inspector Middlesex Middlesex Home Inspectors Acton Barnet Brentford Chiswick Ealing Edmonton Enfield Feltham Finchley Harrow Hayes Hendon Heston Isleworth Hornsey Potters Bar Ruislip Southall Southgate Staines Sunbury-on-Thames Tottenham Twickenham Uxbridge Wembley Willesden Wood Green West Drayton Yiewsley Home Inspectors North Somerset Home Inspector North Somerset North Somerset Home Inspectors Bath Bathampton Chew Magna Chew Stoke Keynsham Midsomer Norton Paulton Radstock Saltford Home Inspectors North Wales Home Inspector North Wales North Wales Home Inspectors