Introduction

Even though the Home Condition report has been scrapped from Home Information Packs (HIPs), an Energy Efficiency Rating must still be provided on each property for sale as of July 2007. So what are these ratings and how can you improve yours?

What are they?

Energy Efficiency Ratings are not new; they have been a crucial part of building regulations and planning signoff for all new build and certain extension work for some time. Often planning permission will be conditionally approved, subject to the plans meeting the relevant building regulations requirements.

The rating actually consists of two measures:

• The SAP rating is generated using the Government’s Standard Assessment Procedure to produce an energy cost rating, expressed on a scale of 1 to 120. The higher the number, the better the standard.

• The Carbon Index (CI) is based on the carbon dioxide (CO_²) emissions caused by heating the space and water for the property. This is expressed on a scale of 0 to 10, again where a higher number represents a better standard.

Neither the size and location of your property, nor the habits of the current household will affect the outcome of this assessment, since it is calculated assuming an average geographical location, standard occupancy and heating patterns and is measured per square metre. This ensures that all properties can be fairly compared.

These two measures are calculated by assessing the elements of a property that contribute to its energy efficiency, most importantly:

• Thermal insulation
• Efficiency and control of the space and water heating system
• Fuel used for space and water heating
• Ventilation
• Solar gain of glazing

Who can assess Energy Efficiency?

How can I improve my Energy Efficiency?

Since these ratings have been around for a while, we should all know what we’re doing, right? Well…no. The calculation used to generate the rating is rather complicated, taking umpteen different factors and measurements into account.

To help you navigate this particularly tricky piece of legislation, we’ve distilled the key points into the following guide. Be aware, though, that even if your property has all of the following attributes, there is no guarantee that you will achieve a good energy efficiency rating, as plenty other factors are involved. Nevertheless, these attributes will definitely help to optimise your rating.

• Improve the efficiency of your home with energy saving products

Further information and useful links

• Full government guide to planning permission (planningportal.gov.uk)