Epc4less are the main providers of Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) in Belfast. They have received inquiries about the effect of a conservatory on the EPC certificate rating. With the implementation of MEES legislation, we find it a good time to look at just how important a conservatory is in the rating of an EPC and what you can do to improve performance as EPC ratings are becoming much more essential for rental homes.

How Separated Conservatories Affect Your EPC Rating

First of all, if you have a separated conservatory, it will not really affect the Energy Performance Certificate, be it heated, unheated, double-glassed or single. If there is a standard door (this means a door that otherwise may be used for the opening to the outside, such as a PVC door or a double glass door) in the wall that divides the conservatory from the main building it is not taken into account in the performance calculation. Nevertheless, the surveyor must verify the existence of the conservatory in the EPC assessment.

How Integrated Conservatories Affect Your EPC Rating

The only time the conservatory actually makes a significant difference asbestos survey to the Energy Efficiency rating is when there is no differentiation between both the conservatory and the main building. In this scenario, the assessor must accurately determine the conservatory area and map out its perimeter. The surveyor would also click the software box to verify if the conservatory is double or single-glazed.

The practical difference it really makes to the final rating is very small, and the final rating number is likely to shift down by just 3-4 points. Obviously, if you have a rather big conservatory relative to the rest of the house, it may weigh in some more.

Do you need to have paperwork from the manufacturer?

Once the surveyor sees the conservatory of your property, he will take photo evidence showing the conservatory’s glass windows and a radiator (if there is one). Throughout the EPC survey, no manufacturer documentation will be needed.

Should you upgrade your conservatory for your EPC rating?

The answer would be no for the vast majority of the properties with conservatories. If indeed the conservatory is installed as above and has single glazed windows, so you need one or two points to hit a higher rating level, and there are no other clear affordable wins to increase your performance, then you may want to ask your surveyor to see if any double glazing would be probably worth it for your conservatory. However, this won’t be required in most cases. To evaluate the conservatory’s effect on your house’s energy efficiency, you may demand an energy survey without EPC lodging in the EPC Database. It means the surveyor must do the estimates and have an assessment of the conservatory’s effect on the overall performance. Your actual certificate, however, won’t be available.

To request an Energy Performance Certificate survey in Belfast, visit epc4less.com.