Energy Performance Certificates & Display Energy Certificates – What are they?

As part of the Governments initiative to cut carbon emissions created in the UK by up to 80% by the year 2050 residential and commercial properties are all required, by law to have Energy Performance Certificates. Public buildings and any buildings which are public authority occupied and have more than 1000 m² of total useful floor area need to have display energy certificates (DECs) which are required to be placed somewhere visible for all visitors to be able to see.

Energy Performance Certificates are certificates which show how energy efficient a property is. These are created following an energy assessment on a property by an Energy Assessor who is fully trained, who will carry out an energy assessment and then create the Energy Performance Certificate and accompanying reports. These certificates will clearly state how energy efficient a property is and the accompanying report will make suggestions on any areas where energy efficiency can be improved with a property. It is then down to the owner of the property to decide whether or not they will follow the advice that is detailed in the report and make the appropriate alterations to the property. It is worth bearing in mind however that where a residential property is being sold the Energy Performance Certificate is required to be put in a Home Information Pack. Often people looking to buy properties will be more likely to opt for property whose Energy Performance Certificate shows that the property is very energy efficient as it will mean that the property will have lower carbon emissions and will be cheaper to run.

If you are planning on selling your property you will need to have a Home Information Pack and Energy Performance Certificate created. CR Energy can assist you with this by providing a fully trained Energy Assessor to visit your property and performance energy assessment all for a reasonable price and at a mutually agreed time. If you are the owner of a public authority occupied building or public building you will need to have Energy Assessor perform an energy assessment on the building. The information from the assessment will then be used to create a Display Energy Certificate (DEC). This will show the public the energy usage of the building and will give it an Operational Rating – which is a rating based on how much energy they building uses when it is in full use. In order to create a Display Energy Certificate an Energy Assessor will need to calculate the area which is used within a building and will also use the previous 12 months of utility bills for the building. Once again CR Energy can help the owner of any building who needs a Display Energy Certificate by arranging for one of their trained Energy Assessors to perform an energy assessment on the building. CR Energy are committed to providing a first-class efficient and cost-effective service to anyone who needs to have a Display Energy Certificate produced for their building.

For more information please visit: http://www.crenergy.co.uk

Tips and Advice for Saving Energy For Your Business

Owning a business means that a lot of responsibility rests on your shoulders and now, thanks to the introduction of EPCs for all buildings with a useful floor space of 1000m2 you have the added responsibility of thinking about the energy efficiency of your business premises. EPCs or Energy Performance Certificates are now required by law for all buildings that fit into a certain category (for more information on this speak to CR Energy who have fully trained Energy Assessors who are able to discuss your EPC needs with you). These EPCs not only inform yourself and the public about the energy efficiency of your business premises, they also contain a report with recommendations on how you can save energy within your business.

If you want to save energy in your business here are a few ways that you can do this:

• Take notice of the recommendations made on the report with the EPC. If you have not got an EPC for your building check with CR Energy to see if you need one for yours and if so book in for one of the professional Energy Assessors to visit and perform the assessment.

• Choose energy efficient electrical appliances and products for your business as these will save energy each year. You can see the energy efficiency of a number of electrical goods as they are now stickered with a rating.

• Make sure that all of your employees know about the importance of saving energy and make them aware of how they can do this every day at work.

• Turn down the thermostat in your building as this will save energy.

• Make sure that the building that you are in is correctly insulated, this might only be possible if you actually own the building.

• Make sure that all electrical equipment is switched off each night, when you are the business owner this is quite easy particularly if you are the last person in the building at night.

• Don’t keep computers, printers and photocopiers on when they are not in use. Contrary to popular belief switching equipment on and off does not use up more energy than leaving them in standby. By doing this you could save around £10 per item that you would normally leave in standby per year.

• Use timers on electrical equipment and lighting that does not need to be on all the time, so during the night and at weekends energy is not used needlessly.

As you can see there are plenty of ways that you can save energy in your business and save money at the same time. If you are in doubt about how to save energy in your business you need to speak to CR Energy who will be more than happy to assist you.

Crenergy : Commercial EPC, Domestic EPC, EPC, Energy Performance Certificates, Display Energy Certificates for Commercial buildings and residential buildings. For more information please visit: http://www.crenergy.co.uk

Home Information Packs (HIPs) – A Buyers Guide

Home Information Packs or HIPs are a set of documents which relate to a property which is on the market for sale. These need to be created by the property owner, their solicitor, their estate agent or a dedicated HIP provider. As from 6 April 2009 there are compulsory documents which need to be in a Home Information Pack from the first day that they are put on the market.

Before Home Information Packs were first introduced it was standard practice for buyers not to be able to see any essential information which related to a property until they had put in a formal offer on it. In addition to this buyers would usually have to pay for this information, now thanks to the Home Information Packs potential buyers can see all these documents prior to making an offer, free of charge. So if you are interested in the property you should ask the estate agent or the seller for a copy of the Home Information Pack.

Each home information Pack contains compulsory (required) and authorised (optional) documents, the pack should only contain official information and should not have anything relating to advertising or marketing within it. Here are the compulsory documents that need to be included within a HIP:

• An index which shows all the documentation within the Home Information Pack.

• A PIQ – Property Information Questionnaire (this was made compulsory on 6 April 2009)

• An EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) which shows the energy efficiency rating of the property that is up for sale. Or a PEA (Predicted Energy Assessment) for newly built homes.

• New build homes also require availability information.

• Sale statement.

• Evidence of title.

• Standard searches which include any water and drainage searches and any local authority searches.

• The leasehold properties a copy of the lease.

• Where applicable commonhold document.

There are of course optional documents which can also be contained within a Home Information Pack and these include:

• A Home Condition Report.
• Warranties are guarantees on any work that has been carried out on the property which are still valid.
• Home use and home contents forms.

As you can see the introduction of Home Information Packs is an excellent idea for buyers of properties. Being able to see such detailed information on a property that you are interested in will help the buyer to make decision on whether or not put an offer in on a property. Too many times during the sales process a buyer will find out something negative about a property which will either cause them to withdraw their offer or which will slow down the sales transaction significantly.

Now thanks to Home Information Packs a potential buyer is able to see everything relating to the property, including its energy efficiency, so they are better informed when they make an offer on a property. So if you are a buyer who is interested in a particular property make sure you ask to see the Home Information Pack and find out everything you need to about the property you might put an offer in on.

Crenergy : Commercial EPC, Domestic EPC, EPC, Energy Performance Certificates, Display Energy Certificates for Commercial buildings and residential buildings. For more information please visit: http://www.crenergy.co.uk

How do you become an Energy Assessor?

Energy Assessors are the people who are responsible for carrying out energy assessments on residential or commercial properties. The findings from these energy assessments are then run through a software program which creates an EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) for the property or building that they relate to.

At the moment there is a huge demand for Energy Assessors as it is now the law that most residential properties which are put on the market for sale require a Home Information Pack and the EPC is one of the essential documents within the pack. Energy Assessors are also required for commercial buildings which require a Display Energy Certificate and accompanying Recommendations Report. For anyone who is interested in becoming an Energy Assessor here is the route that they will have to take:

• Firstly you need to have a level 3 Diploma in Domestic Energy Assessment. There are plenty of centres around the country which offer this course for anyone who wishes to become an Energy Assessor.

• When you have your Diploma you do need to then complete a course which will then enable you to become an Accredited Domestic Energy Assessor. This is essential in order for you to be able to carry out energy assessments as you will then have personal indemnity insurance and the equipment that is required to carry out energy assessments when you attend a property. CR Energy offer a fast track course for anyone who would like to become a Domestic Energy Assessor which comprises of five days of learning and an exam on the sixth day. Once you have passed this course you are then an Accredited Domestic Energy Assessor and you will be able to carry out energy assessments.

• Any Domestic Energy Assessors who wish to progress their career further can then go on to become a Non Domestic Energy Assessor. This is ideal for anyone who wishes to build upon the knowledge that they already have and go on to be able to provide energy assessments for larger commercial buildings.

• There are three main levels of Non Domestic Energy Assessor which range from level 3 to level 5. Level 3 means that you are able to assess straightforward smaller commercial buildings using SBEM technology. Level 4 means that you are able to assess more complex buildings which are small to medium sized, once again using the SBEM technology. Level 5 is the highest level of Non Domestic Energy Assessor and will be working on highly complex and large commercial buildings which require the use of DSM (Dynamic Simulation Modelling) technology.

As you can see it is a quite straightforward route to becoming either a Non Domestic Energy Assessor or a Domestic Energy Assessor and there is plenty of training to undertake whilst you are in your role, should you wish to. If you would like more information on how to become an Energy Assessor speak to CR Energy who will be able to help you with any of your questions or queries.

Crenergy: Commercial EPC, Domestic EPC, EPC, Energy Performance Certificates, Display Energy Certificates for Commercial buildings and residential buildings. For more information please visit: http://www.crenergy.co.uk

Zero Carbon Homes – will the recession devalue the Governments plans?

As economic conditions in the UK hit rock bottom Zero Carbon homes policy planned by the government is in crisis and is in real danger of being devalued according to Green campaigners. Previous to this the Government had pledged that every new home that is built by 2016 would create Zero carbon emissions, which would be in line with the target set by the Government to cut carbon emissions by 80% by the year 2050. Today house builders are feeling the effects of the credit crunch and the Government’s plans look set to suffer a major setback.

Government research has estimated that around 25% of the CO2 emissions that are produced in the UK actually come from housing and as a result the demand for fossil fuels is huge. By implementing the new Zero Carbon homes policy the Government hoped to the demand placed on fossil fuels which are used in the heating systems for the majority of existing houses. Although many house building companies have signed up to the government’s initiative they are trying to offset emissions in their housing stock that already exists through measures such as installing energy-efficient heating and insulation. This method however is not what the Government expected, and many people including the UK Green Building Council are concerned that many builders are not actually creating Zero Carbon homes , they are merely offsetting carbon emissions in their existing homes.

Many green campaigners believe that the Government should be concentrating on both new homes and existing homes when thinking about cutting the carbon emissions they produce. With many people asking for more comprehensive guidelines which will tackle newly built homes and existing homes. To really meet the proposed target of cutting carbon emissions in the UK by up to 80% by the year 2050 the Government need to step up their policy and ensure that measures to reduce carbon emissions in all homes are met. Failure to do this will mean that the proposed target will not be met and will in fact fall incredibly short of the target by 2050.

The new Energy Performance Certificates which all homes and certain buildings are required to have by law certainly go a long way to helping to reduce carbon emissions. In fact all homes which are on the market to be sold need to have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) in their Home Information Packs. So if you are planning on selling your home in the future you will need to have a Home Information Pack produced containing EPC and CR Energy can help you with this by providing you with a full energy assessment on your home. These energy assessments were carried out by fully trained energy assessors and provides homeowners with a cost-effective and efficient way of obtaining their Home Information Packs and EPCs. Contained within the EPCs are also reports on how a homeowner can make their home more carbon friendly, the more information on this contact CR Energy who will be happy to assist you.

Crenergy: Commercial EPC, Domestic EPC, EPC, Energy Performance Certificates, Display Energy Certificates for Commercial buildings and residential buildings. For more information please visit: http://www.crenergy.co.uk

What Do the Three Levels of Energy Assessor Cover?

Energy Assessors are split into two main categories – the Domestic Energy Assessors who visit residential properties and carry out energy assessments in order to create an EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) and the Non-Domestic Energy Assessors who visit commercial buildings and create non domestic EPCs.

Commercial EPCs are now required on all buildings which have over 1000 m² of useful floor area and which are used by members of the public and public authorities. So buildings such as schools, colleges, universities and hospitals are all required to have commercial EPCs created along with, Display Energy Certificates and the accompanying Advisory Reports.

All Energy Assessors need to have a diploma in Domestic Energy Assessment as a minimum before they can start working towards their accreditation. So if you are interested in being an Energy Assessor you need to make sure that you have your diploma in place before you go on to further your training. There are many different organisations which offer this basic diploma to anyone who is looking to be an Energy Assessor. Once you have this qualification you can then go on to be accredited in which ever field you wish to work in – either domestic or non domestic.

If you decide to become a Non-Domestic Energy Assessor there are three levels of achievement which you can work towards. Here are three levels and what each level means in terms of an Energy Assessors professional capabilities .

Level 3 – this level covers all commercial buildings which are classed as simple and have not been recently built. This means they will have a 100 kW of heating and up to 12 kW of local cooling, typical lighting, passive stack and construction which is classed as conventional. All level 3 Non Domestic Energy Assessors are able to use SBEM technology.

Level 4 – this level covers all newly built commercial buildings and all existing commercial buildings. These buildings can have a mixture of complex cooling and heating systems and also incorporate low carbon technologies. All level 4 Non Domestic Energy Assessors are able to use SBEM technology.

SBEM technology is perfectly able to cope with calculations from simple and slightly more complex commercial buildings, however it is generally recognised for some buildings this technology is not sophisticated enough. In these cases dynamic simulation modelling or DSM technologies can be used, and these can only be used by level 5 Non Domestic Energy assessors.

Level 5 – this level covers all commercial buildings – newly built an existing which are highly complex and require the assessor to use DSM technology to complete the assessment.

As you can see three different levels of Non Domestic Energy Assessor cover all commercial buildings. Many of the Energy Assessors find that once they are a level 3 assessor they wish to undertake further training to move up the ranks to become either a level 4 assessor or a level 5 assessor. For more information on how you can become an Energy Assessor speak to  CR Energy who can provide information on their own tailored Energy Assessor training schemes.

Crenergy : Commercial EPC, Domestic EPC, EPC, Energy Performance Certificates, Display Energy Certificates for Commercial buildings and residential buildings. For more information please visit: http://www.crenergy.co.uk

What a Home Information Pack Contains

From December 14, 2007 government legislation stated that any home which was on the market to be sold must have a Home Information Pack (HIP) is available to potential buyers. Home Information Packs are comprised of documentation relating to that property and they must contain the following:

• A full index which details all documents contained within the Home Information Pack – this will form a comprehensive checklist which can be used by estate agents, enforcement authorities, buyers and sellers. Any of the required documents which are not included on the index must also be mentioned along with an explanation as to how this missing document is being obtained.

• A PEA (Predicted Energy Assessment) – these are documents specifically relating to recently built houses that are put on the market prior to being built. Once built the need to be replaced by an EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) which should be completed in full.

• An EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) – this document details the energy efficiency of the property it relates to and it also gives recommendations on how to improve the property’s efficiency. It should also go into detail on how the carbon emissions of that property impact on the environment so that any potential buyers are fully aware of environmentally friendly that property is. CR Energy are committed to providing a fast and effective service to supply EPCs for both residential and commercial properties.

• A sale statement – this document will have the name of the seller, the address of the property, details relating to whether that property is leasehold, freehold or commonhold. It should also include whether the property is registered or unregistered and whether it will be a vacant possession when sold. In certain situations commonhold information or copies of the lease should also be included in the pack.

• Evidence of title – these documents are contained within the HIP to prove that the seller is in fact the owner of the property and therefore has the right to go on to put it on the market. When properties are registered, documents from the Land Registry must also be included in the HIP.

• Standard searches- these include searches of the local land charges register, local authority records (these usually include information on planning decisions and building proposals) and details of water and drainage provisions for the property.

• In the case of new build houses, a certificate which details the sustainability of that property and where it complies with the Code for Sustainable Homes standards. Or a certificate which is nil rated this happens in cases where the property has not yet been assessed against the code.

• A PIQ (Property Information Questionnaire) – all properties will require this questionnaire from 6 April 2009. This will help buyers to make a decision on viewing (and possibly making an offer on) the property by being a summary of information about that property.

These are the documents which every Home Information Pack should contain, however there are other optional documents which can be included such as: leasehold documents, a Home Condition Report, legal summary and Home Use/Content Forms. Obviously creating a Home Information Pack can be quite a task, and that is where CR Energy can help you by providing EPCs at an agreed timescale and for a reasonable fee.

Crenergy : Commercial EPC, Domestic EPC, EPC, Energy Performance Certificates, Display Energy Certificates for Commercial buildings and residential buildings. For more information please visit: http://www.crenergy.co.uk

Tips and Advice for Saving Energy at Work

Saving energy is an area that many people are concerned about, the Government particularly so which is why they have pledged to cut carbon emissions by up to 50% by 2020. With this in mind it is useful to know what practical steps you can do whilst in the workplace to help to save energy and cut carbon emissions. Here are a few tips and some advice for saving energy at work:

• Switch off your monitor when you are not using it. People falsely believe that a monitor does not use much energy when in fact it can use up to 70% of the total energy needed to power a desk top computer.

• Turn off your PC when you are not using it. Once again people falsely believe that leaving your PC in standby will not use up as much power as turning it on and off – this is wrong. If it is not in use, turn your PC off.

• Turn down the thermostat at work by 1-2C this can save an office around £15-£30 each year (for an average sized office) this figure will increase if you work in a large office block and could run into the hundreds.

• Switch off fluorescent lighting whenever possible – just turning off one fluorescent light for one hour each day can cut carbon emissions by 30kg in one year.

• Turn off all lights each evening – this is common problem in many workplaces and lighting is often left on all night.
• Close any open windows as these let out heat and are also a target for burglars.

• Aim to set radiators at around 19C as this is an ideal temperature.

• Try not to use portable heaters as these use up an enormous amount of energy when left running.

• In any areas of a building that are air conditioned keep doors and windows closed – any which are left open are reducing the effectiveness of the air conditioning which will then have to work more to keep up with regulating the temperature.
• Turn off all electrical equipment at night – the amount of printers and photocopiers that are left on each night in workplaces is amazing and it all costs money.

• If you have the authority to purchase electrical equipment aim to purchase items that are energy efficient as this will help to save energy and money.

• If you have a kitchen at your workplace only boil enough water for the required cups of tea or coffee, don’t overfill the kettle or it will waste energy.

• Turn off water coolers at the weekend.

If you would like more information on how to save energy at work contact CR Energy who will be more than happy to help you. In addition should your place of work need an  Energy Performance Certificate (all buildings with over 1000m2 of useful floor space need them) CR Energy can provide a cost effective and efficient service.

Crenergy : Commercial EPC, Domestic EPC, EPC, Energy Performance Certificates, Display Energy Certificates for Commercial buildings and residential buildings. For more information please visit: http://www.crenergy.co.uk

HIPs To Tackle Climate Change

HIPs (Home Information Packs) have been in existence now for over 18 months and from 6 April 2009 all properties are being sold need to have one by law. All Home Information Packs must contain an Energy Performance Certificate or EPC which is created using information about the property and its energy efficiency collected by an Energy Assessor. Having an energy assessment conducted for your home is the first step to creating a HIP which is needed for when you sell your property. CR Energy can help anyone who needs to have their house assessed for an EPC by providing an efficient and cost-effective energy assessment for their property.

Energy Performance Certificates now also need to be the first document within a Home Information Pack, as they are seen as a crucial to help tackle climate change. So how can a Home Information Pack help tackle climate change?

• Energy Performance Certificates will help to increase awareness on the carbon emissions that a property produces each year. Previously people were not aware of what kind of environmental impact their properties actually had. By producing EPCs, Energy Assessors can highlight areas of a property which are not energy efficient.

• In addition to creating Energy Performance Certificates and Energy Assessor will also create a report for the property owners which will give advice and recommendations on how to improve the energy efficiency of that property. If the property owner chooses to act on the advice and recommendations in the report they will improve the energy efficiency of their property and play their part in tackling climate change at the same time.

• Buyers are able to see energy performance information on property they are interested in which will help them to choose a more energy-efficient property to buy. Properties which are not energy-efficient will be on the market for longer. This can encourage the owner to make the necessary changes to improve energy efficiency in order to sell the property.

• Home owners may also find that they are eligible for Government grants to improve the energy efficiency of their home after they have had their homes assessed by an Energy Assessor. When recommendations are made in an EPC it gives homeowners the evidence that they need when they are applying for a grant. This means that even people who are on a low income can help tackle climate change by applying for a grant from the Government. To book your property for an energy assessment contact CR Energy who will be happy to arrange for one of their fully qualified Energy Assessors to visit your property at a mutually agreed time.

By following the recommendations made after an energy assessment property owners can help tackle climate change by reducing their properties carbon emissions and increasing energy efficiency at the same time. If you would like more information on HIPs, EPCs or energy efficiency please contact CR Energy who will be only too happy to help you.

Crenergy : Commercial EPC, Domestic EPC, EPC, Energy Performance Certificates, Display Energy Certificates for Commercial buildings and residential buildings. For more information please visit: http://www.crenergy.co.uk

Home Information Packs-a Seller’s Guide

Anyone who is selling a home will have heard of the Home Information Pack or HIP as it is also known. These are relating to the property that you are selling and they are now compulsory for the majority of homes that are on the market for sale in England and Wales. As from 6th April 2009 there are certain documents that must be contained within the HIP from the first day that it goes on the market, and below is a list of the compulsory and optional document that a HIP can contain:

Compulsory Documents

• An index which lists all documentation within the HIP.
• PIQ or Property Information Questionnaire.
• EPC or Energy Performance Certificate.
• For new build homes – a document referring to sustainability information.
• Evidence of title.
• Sale statement.

Documents which are compulsory but which can be included up to 28 days after the property has gone on the market for sale

• A copy of the lease – this only applies to properties which are leasehold.
• Commonhold documents, if applicable.
• Standard searches which include drainage and water searches and any local authority searches.

Optional documents

• Home Condition Report.
• A home contents and use forms – these include information relating to the boundaries of the property, any planning permissions, any part of the property they shared with neighbours and any notices that been served on the property.
• Any guarantees or warranties for work that has been carried out on the property such as cavity wall insulation or damp proofing.

There are of course properties which can be marketed for sale which do not require a HIP, if your property falls into the following categories it will not need a Home Information Pack.

• Any mixed sales – these are properties which have a shop, usually downstairs with a flat above.
• Properties which are used as holiday accommodation or are occupied for fewer than 11 months each year.
• Properties which are non-residential.
• Properties which are not what the market for sale i.e. they are sold to a family member or friend.
• Properties which are due to be demolished or which are unsafe.
• Any ‘Right to Buy’ ‘Social HomeBuy’ or ‘Right to Acquire’ properties.
• Properties which are not a vacant possession and have a sitting tenant.

If you are selling a property you can employ someone else to create the HIP for you, such as a solicitor, a HIP provider or your estate agent or you can choose to compile the documents yourself. It is entirely up to you who you choose to create the HIP, just make sure that all compulsory the documents are available.

Whilst it may seem like tiresome paperwork to have a HIP created is actually beneficial for the seller as potential buyers can see all the information relating to property at the same time. This will then enable them to make a faster decision on putting in an offer on the property and they also help to dramatically speed up the sales process. For more information on HIPs or EPCs contact CR Energy who will be able to advise you further.

Crenergy : Commercial EPC, Domestic EPC, EPC, Energy Performance Certificates, Display Energy Certificates for Commercial buildings and residential buildings. For more information please visit: http://www.crenergy.co.uk