About Us
Our Mission Statement
Improve the performance of your property - Save energy - Save money
Improve the performance of your property - Save energy - Save money
Apollo Energy Performance Consultancy, operates throughout the whole of Lincolnshire, with the primary aim of helping home owners to understand how their property performs in the modern climate and to show you how you could make a difference to the planet, to the performance of your property and to your bank balance.
Improve the performance of your property - Save energy - Save money
Improve the performance of your property - Save energy - Save money
Improve the performance of your property - Save energy - Save money
Apollo Energy Performance Consultancy aims to deliver a professional, yet friendly service, that will provide you with the information needed to improve the performance of your property. The goal is for you to save energy, reduce your carbon footprint and save money on fuel bills.
Domestic Energy Assessment
Improve the performance of your property - Save energy - Save money
Domestic Energy Assessment
Whether you are a private landlord looking to rent your property or a home owner looking to sell, you will need an EPC (Energy Performance Certificate). Our friendly, certified ABBE (Awarding Body for the Built Environment) DEA (Domestic Energy Assessor), will carry out an onsite, non-invasive assessment, where the findings of which, will be explained in detail, and possible energy savings measures can be considered.
Some Additional Information
What is an EPC and what does it mean?
How the energy performance of a building is calculated
How the energy performance of a building is calculated
The EPC looks broadly similar to the energy labels provided on many household appliances. Its purpose is to indicate how energy efficient a building is. The EPC will provide an energy efficiency rating from A to G, where A is very efficient and G is the least efficient. The better the rating, the more energy efficient the building is, and the lower the fuel bills are likely to be.
Each energy efficiency rating is based on the characteristics of the building itself (the fabric) and its services (such as heating, ventilation and lighting). This type of rating is known as an asset rating. The asset rating will reflect the age and condition of the building.
The EPC includes recommendations to help owners and occupiers to improve the energy efficiency of a building. The recommendations include cost effective improvements and further improvements (that achieve higher standards but are not necessarily cost effective). For each recommendation the indicative cost, typical cost savings and the performance rating after improvement are listed. The potential rating shown on the EPC is based on all cost-effective recommendations being implemented.
The EPC will assess the energy efficiency of services which are present in the building. It will not comment on the safety aspects or maintenance of the services nor will the assessment confirm that the installed system is fit for purpose.
How the energy performance of a building is calculated
How the energy performance of a building is calculated
How the energy performance of a building is calculated
The energy rating of a building is a complex calculation which is based on a combination of factors:
- the type of building (i.e. flat, house or bungalow) and whether it is detached or not
- the age of the building
- the number of habitable rooms (excluding kitchens, bathroom hallways, stairs and landings)
- extensions and their construction and rooms in the roof
- the dimensions of the building and the number of floors
- the amount and type of glazing (i.e. single or double glazing)
- the material used to build the property (e.g. brick, stone, timber frame, etc.)
- wall insulation
- roof construction (e.g. flat, pitched) and insulation
- the number of chimneys and open flues
- the heating systems and the type of fuel used
The energy rating is adjusted for the floor area of a building so it is independent of size for a given type of building. The rating is calculated on the basis of standard occupancy to ensure that the results are consistent for similar building types and relate to the physical fabric of the building rather than the energy usage patterns of the individual occupant, which can vary appreciably between households.
The rating is independent of the number of people living in your household, how many domestic appliances you own (such as washing machines and refrigerators) and how efficient they are and how you choose to heat your home (i.e. individual temperature settings and how long it is heated during the day or night). This allows prospective buyers or tenants to compare the energy rating of buildings on a like for like basis.
What an energy assessment involves
How the energy performance of a building is calculated
Collecting the information required for an EPC
For existing buildings, the energy assessor must undertake a physical survey of the building to gather the appropriate information. For new buildings, the energy assessor will have accurate plans, specifications and other relevant information and a site visit is not required.
During the visit, the energy assessor will need to access all the rooms, the boiler and the loft (if there is safe access). The assessor may take photographs of items, such as heaters and meters, and may take photographs of any unusual features in the building. The energy assessor may also photograph any area that cannot be accessed or visually inspected (for example, a fully boarded loft).
A visual inspection may not be possible for all features (for example, cavity wall or under floor insulation) and without supporting information and evidence, such as receipts, the energy assessor will not be able to include that feature in the EPC.
If access to inspect parts of the building is not possible, (for example, safe access to the loft to determine if it has been insulated), an assumption will be made about those features based on the age of the building. Energy assessors are not required to take unnecessary risks when undertaking an energy assessment.
Collecting the information required for an EPC
Collecting the information required for an EPC
Collecting the information required for an EPC
The energy assessor will need know about how the home has been built. Finding supporting information before the energy assessor visits will ensure you get the most accurate energy efficiency rating for your building. If you have up to date information this process will be less time consuming.
The energy assessor is responsible for ensuring the information used in the energy calculations is accurate and, even where detailed plans are available for existing buildings, must validate the information provided.
The assessor will need to know:
- when the building was built (searches or deeds may provide evidence)
- whether or not the building has been extended and when
- if it has been double glazed, any certificates that may be available
- whether the walls have been insulated and if so whether this is cavity, internal or external insulation
- when boilers and hot water cylinders were installed and their make and model (any manuals may provide evidence)
- the location of room thermostats and heating timers
- the location of gas and electricity meters
- the type of heating fuel you use and the types of heating you use for your rooms
FAQs
Collecting the information required for an EPC
FAQs
Q. How long does it take to gather the information needed to calculate the energy performance for the certificate?
A domestic energy assessment can take anywhere between 30 minutes and a few hours, depending on the property size and complexity.
Q. What kind of information is the DEA looking to find out?
The DEA will involve the collection of property information (such as property age, type of windows, type of heating systems, insulation etc), alongside photographic evidence and a floor plan. They will even look at the type of light bulbs used in the property!