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What is a SAP
Rating?
Home
inspectors or domestic energy assessors are responsible for the
issue of domestic residential dwelling energy reports. These reports
take into consideration many aspects of a home's construction,
heating systems and associated heat losses together with overall
efficiencies of a dwelling. The same basic parameters are applied to
all properties whether it is a flat, maisonette, a semi-detached
house, or a fully detached property.
New
build property is subject to a full SAP rating, this is normally
based on the builders plan and construction drawings and
construction materials in association with the latest building
regulations currently in force. Using this method a SAP rating can
be calculated before the building is constructed. More information
is available for new build homes SAP
Assessment. In addition new build "on-construction"
assessors SAP
Assessment provides information required from you to enable
energy ratings to be calculated.
What is a
RdSAP
Rating? This
rating is applied to all residential property which is
"as-built", in other words all existing properties in the
UK. Energy assessment for existing dwellings follows a method known
as Rd SAP (Reduced data Standard Assessment Procedure).
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This
method is used and interpreted by specialised software which
incorporates known assumptions based on the year of construction of
the property, and the building regulations that were applied at the
time of original construction. Clearly, home sellers would not wish
energy assessors or home inspectors to inspect all aspects of the
fabric of the building structure, which would be destructive to say
the least, hence RdSAP is applied which already has known data
within the computer software program to make accurate assumptions
based on the inspectors "non-invasive" findings.
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This
method is used as it is simpler and easily applied when performing
energy assessments of existing residential property. Generally,
older homes are less energy efficient than newer homes, over the
years building standards and regulations have improved. Detached
homes also have higher heat losses, as all external walls are deemed
as heat loss walls, a terraced home for example will have less heat
loss walls, and hence would have a better SAP rating for space
heating in this instance Energy
certificates may be accompanied by specific recommendations for home
sellers on ways to improve the energy efficiency of their home.
Advice and tips to improve SAP ratings are available - see energy
saving tips.
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Clearly,
it is better to take advice before the inspector carries out the
survey on your home. Thereby, where fuel bills may be of concern to
home buyers, and the home seller ahs a good energy rating in the
home information pack, the buyer may offer full value for the house
sale. Many
home improvements are inexpensive, and can add value to your home,
and reduce environmental impact. Energy
certificates also provide projected fuel costs for a year based on
the findings of the inspector. These costs are also available to the
home buyer to view in the report.
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Energy
Performance Tip: Home
owners can gain up to 15 SAP points by having a condensing gas
boiler installed! This improvement alone could put your home in a
band above the current energy band if you have a conventional gas
boiler installed. see also gas
boiler improvements. Find
out more about Energy Saving
Tips Be
more environmentally friendly go green; renewable energy can save
you money in the long term and provides improvement in your home's
SAP rating: Find
out more about renewable energy sources:
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