Energy Performance Certificates - a guide for housing developers
Housing developers must provide an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) for any property they build. The EPC gives information on a building's energy efficiency in a sliding scale from 'A' (very efficient) to 'G' (least efficient).

For developers selling houses off-plan (not yet built), a Predicted Energy Assessment (PEA) is usually required.

If the new home is being marketed for sale, the EPC or PEA must be provided to prospective buyers.

This guide explains what housing developers need to do to ensure they meet all requirements on energy performance and EPCs.

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Predicted Energy Assessments for properties sold off-plan
Where you intend to sell a property off-plan, you must provide a Predicted Energy Assessment (PEA). This is based on the Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) and environmental impact ratings that are calculated at design stage.

SAP is the approved tool for calculating the energy performance of dwellings and is required by the building regulations. The environmental impact rating indicates how much carbon dioxide the property is expected to generate through its energy use. Find information on building regulations relating to energy efficiency on the Planning Portal website - Opens in a new window.

The PEA does not need to be produced by an accredited assessor. It will look similar to the graphs from the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), but is produced from the design stage SAP 2005 ratings rather than by physical inspection.

Once the property is completed, you need to give the owner a full EPC and recommendation report. For more information, see the page in this guide on Energy Performance Certificates for new residential properties.

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Energy Performance Certificates for new residential properties
Please note that Home Information Pack duties are suspended with immediate effect from 21 May 2010. This means that homes marketed for sale on or after this date will no longer require a Home Information Pack. However, Energy Performance Certificates are still required.

You must provide an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) for any new property you build, whether it is marketed or not. Where the property is marketed, you or the estate agent must make include an EPC available to prospective buyers.

In new homes, the EPC must be produced by a domestic energy assessor accredited on construction. This assessor does not need to visit your property, but must use an approved version of the Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) software.

The EPC will be the result of the 'As Built' check, which is an extension of the SAP rating calculated at the design stage. For more information on SAP ratings, see the page in this guide on Predicted Energy Assessments for properties sold off-plan.

The EPC comes with a recommendation report that includes advice on improvements you could make to save money and energy.

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Responsibilities of housing developers for Energy Performance Certificates
Property developers must provide an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) once a home is completed. This applies not just to new builds, but also to alterations where more or fewer separate homes are created (for example dividing a house into two or more flats or merging flats into one new home) and they have heating, hot water provision or air conditioning/ventilation.

EPCs must be produced by accredited on-construction domestic energy assessors. Those people currently doing SAP calculations to show the home meets target emission rates as part of the building regulations are not necessarily able to produce EPCs. Make sure that you check that the energy assessor you use has joined an accreditation scheme. See our guide on energy assessor accreditation.

Find a domestic energy assessor on the Landmark Information Group website - Opens in a new window.

Once you have the EPC, you must provide a copy to the new owner and notify the local authority building control officers or approved inspectors of this. This notification must be completed within the time specified by the building regulations. This notification must be completed at least five days before occupation.

Once building control is satisfied the EPC has been properly produced and provided to the relevant parties, they will be able to issue you with a Final Completion Certificate.

Energy Performance Certificates must be registered and stored in the national register online, with a unique reference number. This must be done by the on construction domestic energy assessor in conjunction with their accreditation scheme.

Find information on building regulations relating to energy efficiency on the Planning Portal website

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Energy performance requirements for new homes
Part L of the building regulations requires you to make 'reasonable provision' for the conservation of fuel and power in buildings. This includes: limiting heat gains and losses through thermal elements and other parts of the building fabric, and from pipes, ducts and vessels used for space heating, space cooling and hot water services providing and commissioning energy-efficient fixed building services with effective controls giving the owner enough information about the building, the fixed building services and their maintenance requirements, so that they can operate the building as efficiently as possible Find information on building regulations relating to energy efficiency on the Planning Portal website - Opens in a new window.

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Source www.businesslink.gov.uk