EPCs for Dover, Folkestone & Deal

In Latin, "Dimeto" - it means "to measure out".

Domestic Energy Assessors need to take a number of measurements during an EPC; to create floor plans, recording the dimensions of glazing thickness, glazing area, wall thickness, insulation thickness ... and much more.

All Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) exist on the UK's Energy Performance of Buildings Register, and are accessible by everyone. For a specific property, an EPC describes:

• The property's energy performance rating (from the most efficient A to the least efficient G)
• The property's environmental impact, in tonnes of CO₂ emitted (from the most efficient A to the least efficient G)
• Recommendations on how to improve the property's energy efficiency, the estimated savings each recommendation would have, and how much each recommendation would cost to implement.
• The property's potential energy and environmental rating, if all the recommendations are implemented.

The UK's Climate Change Act 2008 was the first legally binding climate change mitigation set by any country. In 2019 the act was updated, committing the UK to bring all greenhouse gas emissions to "net-zero" by 2050. With buildings accounting for 45% of all carbon emissions in the UK, making them more energy efficient is a priority to achieve the "net-zero" commitment.

The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) was first introduced into UK Law in 2007, and it contains regulations to drive energy efficiency improvements in buildings. The EPDB defines how energy assessor accreditation bodies operate (companies responsible for energy assessments), what the main assessment streams are (Display Energy Certificates for public buildings, Air Conditioning Inspections, and Energy Performance Certificates for domestic and commercial buildings, sold or let out), and how these certifications are implemented and audited.

Dimeto are accredited Domestic Energy Assessors (DEA). We are fully accredited members of the ecmk accreditation body, and conduct Energy Performance Certificates on domestic properties. We are responsible for assessing the energy efficiency of domestic properties, recommending energy efficiency improvements, and ultimately reducing greenhouse emissions to meet the Climate Change Act's commitment.

As the homeowner, not only are you helping tackle Climate Change, but with a more energy efficient property, you would also benefit from lower energy bills!

For domestic properties, it's a legal requirement for a property to have a valid EPC certificate, before it can be marketed for sale or for rent. An EPC is valid if it's listed in the UK's Energy Performance of Buildings Register, and it has not expired (less than ten years old). However, there are a few exceptions where an EPC may not be needed, including:

• Protected buildings with special architectural or historical merit are exempt
• Buildings used as a place of worship
• Temporary buildings (expected 2 years of use or less)
• Stand-alone buildings with less than 50 m² floor area
• There's evidence a property is due for demolition
• In some circumstances, a holiday let may be exempt

The Domestic Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) Regulations are an additional set of regulations, which only apply to rented properties. If you intend to rent a domestic property which has an EPC rating of F or G, you may need to take appropriate steps to comply with the MEES Regulations before renting can proceed.

Please note - the MEES Regulations are due to change, requiring domestic rented properties to have a minimum EPC rating of C. Look out for further annoucements in the press.

When selling or renting a domestic property, EPCs are enforced by your Local Authority, who can issue fines if a property is in breach of Regulations. For instance, if an Estate Agent markets a property (in their offices, online marketing portals or even a Facebook post), the property must have a valid EPC, and it must be included on marketing material. If not, the Local Authority could impose a fine of £200. If a landlord rents a property without a valid EPC, or the property has an F / G rating, they could be fined by the Local Authority up to £5,000. (Please note, from 2025, it's proposed a landlord's fine could be increased up to £30,000).

An Energy Performance Certificate for a domestic property, can only be conducted by an accredited Domestic Energy Assessor (DEA). A Domestic Energy Assessor always belongs to an energy assessor accreditation body, who ensures :

• The DEA has been fully trained, and has the appropriate training.
• The DEA has the appropriate insurance
• The DEA's EPC assessments are of a high quality, through regular monitoring and audits
• The DEA's knowledge is kept up-to-date, by mandatory Continuous Professional Development (CPD).

The Domestic Energy Assessor has special governmentally approved EPC software called RdSAP, which, given the correct data inputs, allows them to generate EPC assessments. Through their accreditation body, the Domestic Energy Assessor can also upload completed EPCs to the UK's Energy Performance of Buildings Register. Once uploaded to the Energy Performance of Buildings Register, the EPC can be officially recognised.

An Energy Performance Certificate assesses both the external and internal features of a property. Specifically, an EPC will be assessing the property's fabric (it's structure) and it's heating systems. For example:

• Age of the property
• Type of property (house, bungalow, flat etc)
• Wall construction
• Floor construction
• Glazing type
• Amount of glazing
• Type of roof
• Insulation in floors, walls and roof
• Type of heating system(s) and heating controls
• Renewable heating systems

When Dimeto conducts an EPC, they will need to examine the property's external walls, assess every room, pop their head/shoulders into the loft, and inspect the heating systems (boiler, water cylinder etc). Dimeto will draw a floor plan, make notes and take photographs to support the DEA's decisions.

Please note, EPCs do not assess how the property's services are used (e.g. what temperature the room thermostats are set to, how long the heating is on etc.). After all, when buying or renting, it's the property efficiency that's important, not the behaviour of the current occupier.

Also note, an EPC is only a visual assessment, based on what can be seen and proven through the homeowner's documentation. Consequently an EPC is non-invasive - for instance, there's no need for drilling into walls to assess the insulation.